Actions Speak Louder than Words
by thing.ray
Summary: I knew first hand that sometimes it didn't matter what you said. The only thing that matters is what you do. Gaa/OC/Sas - COMPLETE!
1. Preface

It was cold, or at least, the drops of water falling from the sky were cold. As I lay back against the grass, I could see the lighting flashing through the trees. One, two, three, four... I closed my eyes; five, six, seven, eight... I felt the earth shake from the power of the thunder. I figured it wasn't such a good idea to be outside during such a storm, but where else did I have to go? What choice did I have?

The storm was close to eight miles away, but there was really no way to tell what direction it was coming from. I couldn't hear the rain hitting my skin, but I could feel it. I couldn't hear the thunder practically shattering the sky, but I could sense it. My dream, ever since I was a young girl, was to hear something, anything, even if it was the sound of my own scream. I had always longed to carry on a verbal conversation with someone, but it was impossible for an aspiring shinobi like me. You could talk to me, but it would literally fall on deaf ears. Silence, despite the fact that that was all I knew, was my biggest fear.

Sensing someone near by, I opened my eyes and shot up, spinning around and leaping into a crouch. There, standing roughly ten paces away from me, was a young man. He looked no younger than me, but there was something about him that gave him an eternal look. I couldn't help but wonder if it was his eyes that cast that illusion.

I raised my hands to sign out my questions of "who are you" and "what do you want," but he raised his arms in the offensive. I frowned and lowered my hands. Most people thought that, when I was only trying to talk to them, I was going to attack them. His eyes, slightly narrowed, never left me, and his arms, raised and ready to strike, never lowered.

"Who are you?" I tried to say, not knowing whether or not I was successful. I could feel the vibrations of the sound coming from my mouth, but having never heard how a word was supposed to sound, he probably hadn't understood what I was trying to ask him. However, realization dawned on him, and for a brief second, he appeared confused. But then his apathy returned, and he walked forward, crouching in front of me. In a moment of rare bravery, I reached for his hand and held it in mine. He tried to snatch it back, but I shook my head and tapped the corner of my eye, signalling for him to watch. I opened his tightly fisted hand and spread it out so I could easily trace the letters of the sentence I had wanted to form.

He frowned and looked around him for a moment. Then his shoulders drooped and his lips parted slightly as though he had sighed. He reached up to uncork the gourd on his back. In response, sand flowed out and slid to the ground in front of him; he waited for less than five seconds for the sand to turn to mud before he began writing.

_Gaara._

I gestured to the sand and he nodded. I shifted and crawled beside him so I could write my name in the sand. In response to the closeness of my body, he tensed. I merely smiled and, after writing my name, returned to my previous spot.

_Mizuki._

I reached for his hand again and traced the letters of my next question. Are you alone? He didn't respond right away, and he even looked as though I had taken him by surprise. I stretched my arm and tapped his forehead, right on the kanji. He blinked and began writing in the sand. It expanded of its own accord, giving him more room to write. I glanced up at him, but it must have been nothing new to him, because he didn't even seem to notice it. I couldn't help but be amazed.

_Yes. I'm travelling. Are you alone?_

I nodded and wrote my response in the sand, shifting back to my place beside Gaara as I did so. But instead of moving back as I had the last time, I decided to stay where I sat. He barely flinched this time.

_Yes. I'm alone here and everywhere else. I have no home._

I glanced at him through the corner of my right eye, waiting for some sort of reaction, like shock or sympathy, but he didn't show any emotion. I could practically see the gears turning as he mulled over what I wrote, but his expression never changed. After less than thirty seconds, he began to write again.

_Neither do I._

I frowned and wiped my hand across the sand. I expected someone that looked like him to have a home, or at least somewhere to go. He had said that he was travelling, but was that the truth? I looked up at him, and even though he wasn't looking at me, I searched his face for any sign of sadness of anything. It seemed though that Gaara had no room for emotion.

_Gaara, are you a shinobi?_

He nodded and looked at me, not even bothering to write in the sand. I could see the same question in his light green eyes. I pursed my lips and fell back against the grass, staring up at the sky. Then I raised my hand and pointed my thumb downwards. I glanced at him and he nodded and stood, as though he were about to leave. For some reason, I began to panic. I rolled over and grabbed his ankle, making him stop. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed his hand.

_Don't go._

His eyes narrowed and he looked at me for a while, probably trying to figure out if I was a ninja in disguise or something. Then he grabbed me before I could protest, wrapping his arm around my waist, and began running. I wasn't trained, so obviously I wouldn't have been able to keep up with his speed, therefore he had to semi-carry me to wherever he was planning on taking me.

Before I knew it we were on the outskirts of the village Hidden in the Leaves. I looked at him questioningly, but he only shook his head and pulled me along behind him with his hand wrapped firmly around my wrist. I didn't understand why I was following him so willingly, or why I hadn't wanted him to leave me so soon. I had no idea who he really was, or, had he been given the excuse to, if he would have killed me back in the forest. I poked his shoulder, trying to get his attention, but he ignored me. I huffed, feeling the small puff of air escape my body in a show of frustration.

Abruptly he stopped, making me run into him. He turned and took my hand, tracing three letters in my palm. _Eat. _He gestured to the ramen shop down the road and placed some money into my hand. Once more, he tried to leave, but I grabbed his wrist, pleading silently for him to stay. I could see the questions in his eyes, but they were questions even I didn't think I could answer. He nodded briskly and followed me this time to the ramen shop.

While I waited, I grabbed a pencil and a sheet of paper from the other side of the counter.

Why do you want to leave so much?

_Because I have some things I need to take care of._

Can I ask what those things are?

_No._

My eyes burned with the tears really shouldn't have been rising. I glanced at him, but he was staring down at his hands which were folded in his lap.

Will I ever see you again?

_Maybe._

Can you stay for a little longer?

He took the paper and crumpled it into a ball in his hand, nodding instead of writing. I allowed myself a small relieved smile and turned to look at the bowl of ramen sitting before me. Despite myself, I could feel my stomach growling. The owner of the ramen shop was trying to carry on a conversation with Gaara as I ate, but Gaara wasn't interested in talking. I wasn't looking at him, but I could feel his strange eyes on me, watching me as though he were making sure I ate every bit of what he had bought for me. Halfway through the bowl, I stopped eating and pushed it away, shaking my head. I felt sick, probably because I had eaten too much. It was more than I had ever eaten in my entire life.

Understanding, Gaara stood and wrapped his arm around my waist and put my arm around his shoulders and led me away from the ramen shop. Earlier in the forest, I had told him that I had no home, so what he was doing now was wandering aimlessly through the village probably wondering what exactly to do with me. Before long though, we were stopped by a relatively tall man with spiky black hair and what appeared to be a scar across the bridge of his nose. I lifted my head to look at him, watching him and Gaara talk. The man's eyes filled with sympathy, but Gaara remained apathetic. He shifted me from his arms to the stranger's arms. I panicked again, reaching out for the boy I had just met.

He reached out and took my hand, holding my gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Then a ghost of a smile made the corners of his mouth twitch upwards and he touched my cheek with the palm of his hand.

_I'll see you soon, Mizuki._


	2. One

**Hi~! So, did everyone enjoy the first chapter? I truly hope so! This chapter was made just for you guys who are following my story! Feel free to tell me what you think, whether it be positive or negative. I appreciate the feedback. I've written six chapters in advance, so the advice would be helpful in revising the next few chapters. **

**Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my story! Enjoy~!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

My body ached all over, due to the amount of chakra I had just used. I should have been on the ground and coughing up blood like most Genin when they tried to master a new technique, but I only felt more energized.

"Again!" I shouted, hearing the ring of my voice in my right ear. It had been exactly two years since the invention of the hearing aid, and I owed my thanks to the Sound ninja for that. I cherished every moment of everything I could hear now, because two years ago, I hadn't been able to hear anything. I was born deaf in both ears, and had remained so for thirteen years. I had been one of the odd cases of a handicapped shinobi, therefore I had been the ideal person to test out this new invention. Granted, it still had its flaws, like I could only hear people who were standing right next to me.

"Byakugan!"

"That's enough, Mizuki. At this rate, you might actually end up like the other Genin."

"But Iruka-sensei, I'm sure I can master this technique, just give me one-"

"He said stop." I turned to glare at my cousin. "Or is that hearing aid not working as well as you thought it was?"

"Shut up, Neji, this has nothing to do with you." I snapped and then turned back around to face my cousin. He was the picture-perfect image of arrogance. If I was just given a little more time, I was sure I could beat him. "Again!"

"He's right though." Neji sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. He shifted his weight to his left foot and stared at me with slightly narrowed eyes. I was still in my fighting stance. Ever since daybreak, I had been training as hard as I possibly could, but there didn't seem to be any change in my strength. My chakra left me faster than I could imagine, and my hits did little more than make him stumble before he quickly regained his bearings. I didn't understand why I wasn't getting stronger. I cursed under my breath and forced myself to remain calm. There was no way I was going to get any better if I just got myself worked up.

"You'll just end up killing yourself," he shrugged. "And if that's what you want to happen, then by all means, continue what you're doing. But I was under the impression that you wanted to get stronger. What ever happened to your dream of becoming a Jonin? At this rate, they might make a special rank for you. They might even name it after you."

"Shut up!" I leaped forward, lashing out with my hand, but he easily dodged my attack, feinting to the right and dipping under my body to move right back into the same spot he had been in. I hit the ground and rolled, finally coming to a stop in front of Iruka-sensei. I spat and stood, wiping the dirt off my face. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I know exactly what I'm doing."

I ran forward again. "Byakugan!"

Without forming the hand sign, the veins around Neji's eyes began to bulge. He tried moving to the left to avoid my attack, but I dropped to the ground, having enough momentum from my run to keep sliding. I lashed out with my foot and hit the back of his knee. He went tumbling to the ground. I hooked my leg around his waist as he fell, using the force of his fall to propel me up and onto him. Straddling him with my legs locked tightly around his waist, I jabbed my hand into his shoulder. He shouted the proof of the pain and spat a little bit of blood onto my shirt.

"You little-"

"Mizuki-chan! It's getting late, and my mom wanted us home before the sun set. Let's go!" Sakura called from beneath an oak tree, stretching and smiling in such a relaxed manner that had me believing she had fallen asleep. I grunted and sighed and glanced down at Neji, who was visibly fuming. I punched him in the stomach as I stood and pushed him lightly out of my way as I walked towards my adopted sister. I couldn't lie that over the years that I had become a student at the academy, I had significantly improved. But I still wasn't strong enough. What could even be called true strength, anyway? I had seen Jonin fight once before, but it hadn't been a true life-threatening fight, only a mere spar between comrades. What reference point did I have to go off of? Who could I learn from, besides Neji Hyuga, my cousin, who would probably never teach me everything he knew and would keep me in the dark for as long as possible. I sighed.

My greatest enemy and my greatest asset was the one who would keep me at level zero for the rest of my life.

For as long as I could remember, I had lived on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, fending only for myself. I could never quite remember why I had been there, or who, if anyone, had left me there. It was one day, though, the day of one of the worst storms we had ever seen in terms of rainfall and lightning strikes, that Iruka-sensei had found me and had brought me into the village and to Sakura's mother, who gladly took me in as her own. I didn't know a lot about myself and I didn't quite remember everything that had happened that night, or whether or not my memories were even that accurate at this point, because it had been so long ago, but that was exactly why I was so determined to become stronger. I needed to know about my past, and if it meant putting myself in danger to get there, then it was what I had to do.

"You look upset." Sakura observed. She stepped out in front of me and rested her hands on my shoulders. As she stared at me, trying to read my expression, I noticed that I could see my reflection in her big green eyes. I wasn't much to brag about, compared to Sakura Haruno, or Ino Yamanaka. I had almond shaped pale brown, pupilless eyes and short, choppy black hair. I was short and scrawny, and had only recently been building some muscle to look healthier.

"What's wrong, Mizuki?"

"Nothing." I rolled my eyes and shrugged her away, continuing in my slow stride towards the inner part of the village. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Sakura looked sceptical. "If it's about what Neji said..."

"So you were listening after all?" I chuckled and shook my head, turning around to prod her cheek with my forefinger. "But I said not to worry about me. I'm fine; better than fine! It has absolutely nothing to do with what Neji said to me."

She rolled her eyes and slapped my hand away with a fond smile. I grinned back and we continued our walk in companionable silence.

"Say, Sakura, what do you know about the Chunin exams?" I asked, pausing before we reached the village.

"Ha! I knew something was bothering you!" She grinned triumphantly and then kept walking, forcing me to follow along behind her. "Why?"

I shrugged and stretched my arms above me, sighing. "Just curious is all. I want to be prepared for whatever comes at me, you know?"

She nodded her understanding. "Well, I don't know a lot about it, because as a Genin, they don't tell you about that kind of stuff until last minute, I guess. What I do know is that shinobi from all over the world come to the Leaf Village and take a series of extremely difficult tests. I have no idea what those tests are actually on, though. I heard they get more and more difficult every time."

"I wonder why that is?" I thought aloud. Then I snickered. "Maybe it's because the ninja get even stronger with every year that passes, so obviously they have to make the tests difficult, or else anyone could become a Chunin! Gosh, we've got to be amazing this year, Sakura, or else we won't be able to prove this theory!"

She smiled and nodded her agreement. "Race you home!"

I laughed at her unfair head start and launched myself into the trees, running as hard and as fast as I could possibly could. Despite the fact that she didn't fight much, Sakura was skilled in her own way. Her chakra control was amazing, so she was able to concentrate it to her feet to give her that extra push. I, however, had exhausted my chakra today during training and had nothing left to cheat with.

"Hey, put him down, now!" I heard someone shout. Without leaving the cover of the trees, I peered down at the ground where two children, Naruto, and Sakura were stressing over a little boy being held up by his shirt in mid-air. The man who was holding this boy had to be at least two years older than me. His face was covered in dark purple markings, and he had what looked like a mummy strapped to his back. A young woman stood behind him with a smug smile on her face, but a worried expression in her eyes. I wasn't liking this situation at all.

"Didn't your parents ever tell you to pick on someone your own size?" I glanced beside me where Sasuke Uchiha now perched. I cast my eyes back to the commotion on the ground where the man was rubbing his cheek and staring at the little rock on the ground with pure shock. He then turned to glare at Sasuke and me, not knowing who to blame for his minor injury.

"Which one of you threw that? Come down here and I'll show you what my parents taught me." The straps on his shoulders loosened and I got a queasy feeling in my stomach. The confidence with which he held himself surpassed Neji, and even Sasuke, who never seemed to lose his mind to a situation like this.

"I'm sure you'd love to do that, but I'm afraid I don't have time for the likes of you," Sasuke tossed a rock up and down, staring at the man with a devilish gleam in his coal-black eyes. He stop playing with the rock and held it in his hand for a moment before he crushed the rock and released the powder into the air. "But don't tempt me."

"Why you little-"

"Kankuro, that's enough."

Without warning my heart suddenly began beating rapidly, contracting painfully in my chest. It clenched and unclenched painfully giving me barely enough time to breathe between the spasms of agony. I gasped for air, clutching my chest with my right hand and pressed my left hand against the branch to keep myself from falling off the tree head first. What was this? Had I really used too much chakra earlier, and was it finally catching up to me? My vision began to blur, and I could feel myself falling.

"Mizuki!" Sasuke wrapped his arm around my waist as I fell and pulled me back onto the tree. Before I could completely pass out, however, my eyes fell upon the boy on the opposite side of the tree. He had unruly auburn hair that spiked out in all different directions and tanuki-like bright green eyes, but the most noticeable part of his appearance was the red kanji on his forehead. My heart gave one last painful lurch before my world was washed in darkness.


	3. Two

**First off, I would like to thank everyone who has read and/or followed this story. It continues to give me a reason to update, regardless of whether or not I receive any reviews. At least I know that it's worthy enough to be looked at for more than a few seconds. I would also like to thank my first reviewer, LD-KMV-2013. The review you left me truly made my day, so this chapters is for not only you, but also the people who are silently supporting this story. You guys are great. :)**

**I hope this chapter is what you guys were hoping for, and I hope I did a good enough job at keeping you on your toes. Questions will be answered in every chapter, as well as questions will be asked. The real story begins now.**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I woke up to bright white lights hovering over me. I rolled my head to the side and squinted against the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The one closest to my bed had been opened slightly, allowing a small breeze into the room. I grimaced and pushed myself up onto my elbows, but a sharp pain in my chest forced me back down. I sighed. The comfortable bed, the cream colored walls, the lavender colored drapes, the sterile smell... I was in the hospital. Slowly I lifted my hand to my chest and placed it where my heart should have been and chuckled morosely. Of course I was in the hospital. I remembered the pain, the falling, the darkness...

"Good, you're awake."

I sat upright faster than I should have. Black spots made it nearly impossible to clearly see the figure sitting at the foot of my bed. I closed my eyes tightly and rubbed my face. When I opened my eyes again, my vision had become clearer, and the figure who had been sitting at the foot of my bed was now standing right beside me. I looked up at him, my heart beating away at an uncomfortably fast pace. My hand tightened on the cloth of my hospital gown.

"Who are you?" I asked, irritated that I sounded like a weak child. He had his arms crossed over his chest, giving me the impression that even though I was incapacitated by chest pains and blurry vision he was still going to treat me as though I were a threat to him. "Why are you here, and I don't even know you?"

No answer. I asked him again. "Who are you?"

"That's not important." He muttered, closing his eyes as he turned on his heel to leave. My heart lurched painfully in my chest and I cried out, doubling over in pain, breathing in heavy pants. I could no longer hear his retreating footsteps. I looked up and saw him standing in front of the door with his head slightly lowered. He was completely still, as if he were waiting for another cry to escape me. I leaned back against the pillows and clenched my eyes as tightly shut as I could get them. The pain would go away, sure enough, if I just relaxed.

"What's your name?" I whispered, keeping my eyes shut. Somehow, I felt like he was to blame for the pain I was suddenly going through. In all my life, I had never experienced anything like this. Why now? "Why are you here?"

I could hear his foot sliding against the ground as he turned around again to walk towards me. My body tensed in anticipation, but still I kept my eyes closed. If I didn't look at him, then my heart wouldn't hurt so much. Maybe, if I didn't look at him, I wouldn't have to find out if he was the cause of this feeling. I didn't even know if I wanted to know if he was the cause or not. I didn't know him or where he had come from or why he was here in the first place. It's not important, it's not important... whatever. Who was this boy to judge what was important and what wasn't? I was the one who was asking the questions; I would be the one to determine whether or not the answer was important.

"That's not-"

"Then how did you get in here?" I retorted. "Surely the nurses wouldn't have let you in if you hadn't stated your purpose. And if you told them, then of course I deserve to know."

He sighed and again began walking away. I opened my eyes just enough to watch him return to his seat at the foot of my bed. He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on the tops of his hands, watching me with his light green eyes. Where had I seen those eyes before? It seemed like it had been forever ago that I had seen those exact same eyes, filled with that exact same loneliness that I had felt for so many years. I shivered and suddenly wished that that damned window wasn't open.

"You're cold."He stood and walked to the window and closed it, pushing the latch down with a surprisingly audible _click_. I winced and averted my eyes. "Do you need another blanket?"

"I'm fine." I snapped. "And besides, you won't even answer my questions, so why should I answer yours?"

He said nothing, instead turning to leave. My heart contracted painfully, and my body moved of its own accord. I stumbled across the room and grabbed his arm before I collapsed to my knees. My grip on his arm was the only thing that was keeping my face from connecting with cold stone floor. I tightened my hold and forced myself onto my feet. My legs shook uncontrollably and my heart was still beating painfully. I felt like I was going to die, right there on the spot, and only just because I didn't want him to leave without answering me. He couldn't just leave like that, ignoring everything I had asked him. Who was he to think he could just ignore me when he had been the one to visit me in the first place? I had expected someone like Naruto or Sakura, or maybe even Sasuke, but this strange boy I had only seen once?

"Please," I said, looking up at him. "Please answer me."

He grabbed my right hand with his left and pulled me around and towards him until my back was firmly pressed against him. My face flushed; this position was not helping my heart rate one bit. He turned away from the door, and with gentle arms around my waist, guided me slowly back to my bed. Once more he turned me around to face him and leaned down to look me directly in the eyes. He wasn't much taller than me; in fact, he looked about as tall as Naruto, but I was abnormally short for a girl.

"All you need to worry about is recovering," he said quietly. "The rest can wait for another day."

I hadn't noticed until now, but the expression in his eyes had changed from a look of apathy to one that could have been called concern if you looked close enough. Could this stranger really have any concern for me at all, when only moments ago he had appeared as though he hadn't cared at all?

"Are you here for the Chunin Exams?" I asked, ignoring his statement. It was my turn to take away what he wanted. He didn't want me to know who was, or at least, that's what it looked like to me. But I didn't want him to leave me with questions instead of answers. If he could just answer one of my questions, I could be satisfied until later. If he was here for the exams, it was guaranteed that there would be a "later" for me to ask him these things, or even find out on my own.

He sighed and shook his head, pushing me away from him. I fell back against the bed and decided not to waste my energy on getting back up to interrogate him. If he had chosen long ago that he wasn't going to answer my questions, then why should I waste my breath by asking them? He was stubborn and there was no way I would be able to get him to crack by just pleading with him, or even using what little force I could muster. Even just looking at him, he was small for the age group of boys I assumed he was in, but it was obvious that he was powerful. There was a look in his eyes that clearly spelled out that if he felt like it, he could end your life in mere seconds. I didn't know if that was what had stopped me in my questioning or if it was merely just the desire not to waste anymore energy on this guy. Regardless, I sat up and then rested my chin in my right hand. I shrugged, lifting the palm of my left hand in a show of defeat.

"You win." I said and then smiled. I reached up and removed the hearing aid. He stared at me for a moment, glancing down at the small contraption in my hand with a barely concealed amount of wonder in his eyes. Before he could realize what I was doing, I reached out and grabbed his wrist, yanking him towards me. He stumbled forward, and unable to regain his balance, fell on top of me. We both collapsed against the bed, him with a surprised and angered expression, and me with a triumphant grin. He tried to get back up, but I only held him down and tapped the corner of my eye, signalling for him to watch. I reached over with my left hand and smoothed out his tightly clenched fist. I began tracing the letters of the words I wouldn't say out loud into his palm, slowly and deliberately so he could feel each and every character that was being written. I smiled to myself and then pressed my forefinger against the kanji on his forehead.

I released him and he jumped away so fast you'd have thought I'd have burned him. I grabbed my hearing aid and put it back into my ear and ran my fingers through my hair. He stared at me with narrowed eyes, and I grinned falling back against the bed again. I sighed loudly and then laughed.

"I caught you off guard, didn't I?" I stared up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes, trying to make out shapes in the small dots that covered it. "Just remember, if we meet again in the Chunin Exams, I won't be the same girl you see today. I may not look like it, but one day, I'm going to be the strongest Jonin out there. Just you wait and see."

Shortly after I finished talking, the door to my room closed and I smiled to myself.

_You'll answer my questions sooner or later, Stranger from Sunagakure._


	4. Three

**Hey guys! This is probably going to be the last update for a few days because my exams are coming up faster than I like. I've really gotta focus, and this isn't helping me! I hope this chapter is good enough for you guys. I kind of struggled with this one, editing it and whatnot. So, basically, this a mix between a chapter that will keep the plot going the way it should a filler chapter to keep you guys wondering what's going on or keep you entertained until the next time I can update.**

**Questions, suggestions? Tell me what you think of this chapter! I would appreciate the criticism. **

**Enjoy!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

"I bet you're wondering why I called you all here so early."

Jolted out of my reverie by Kakashi-sensei's voice, I glanced up at his perch on the rail of the bridge we had been standing on for at least an hour. Naruto groaned and forced himself to stand straight. Sakura, he was leaning dangerously far to left, lolled her head to the other side and hiccuped, using visible effort to keep her eyes open. Sasuke, however, looked as awake as ever, neither brimming with barely contained energy nor on the verge of passing out. Sometimes I wondered if he ever slept.

"I don't know about the rest of them," I said with a shrug. "But I'm curious. I'm also curious about why you're always late when we're on time."

Kakashi-sensei chuckled nervously and scratched his head. It didn't seem to matter about how urgent he said it was for us to meet him at a specific time and place; he was always late.

"I have something very important to share with you guys, so how about we worry about my tardiness another time, alright?" He sighed and then reached into his pockets, shuffling around until he pulled out four small slips of paper. He held them out and I stepped forward to grab them, handing one to each of my comrades.

"These are your registration papers," Kakashi-sensei said. "So don't lose them!"

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What are these for?"

"I recommended the four of you to take the Chunin exams," he said triumphantly, his eyes skimming over each of us, waiting for our reactions. I was shocked. Did Kakashi-sensei really think that we were good enough to take the exams? I looked over at Naruto who looked like he was close to passing out with his excitement.

"Wait, I thought that you had to sign up or something..." I said. "Why did you recommend us?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. Kakashi shrugged and jumped down from the rail so he could lean against it and shove his hands into his pockets.

"That's not how it's done. Even the other teams that participate in the Chunin Exams are recommended. You four were specifically chosen to take these exams, along with two other teams. Kurenai, Asuma, and I all agree that out of all of the Genin you ten are the best in your year. And not only that, but you have significantly improved over the time you have been training with me. I believe that you four will be able to pass these exams. However, they are not to be taken lightly... Naruto."

"Why are you targeting me? I didn't say anything!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "You get reckless when you're excited, so try to not to get too excited. Make sure you proceed with caution. There are going to be countless shinobi from all of the different Hidden Villages. During the exams, even those who were once your friends can become your enemies, and those who were once your enemies can become your friends. I'm saying this for you, Naruto. Listen to your teammates for once, and use your head."

He stepped forward and flicked Naruto on his forehead, dead-center. He fell backwards with a painful _thud_. I laughed, but quickly tried to cover it with my hands when Naruto looked up to glare at me. Kakashi-sensei turned on his heel then, waving over his shoulder, leaving Naruto looking as confused as ever, Sakura looking as though she were about to throw up, Sasuke with a curious gleam in his eyes, and me with a powerful determination. I hadn't been out of the hospital for longer than two days, and already I was soon going to be pushed to my limits once more. I was going to try my best at becoming a Chunin, thought, because it was the next step in bringing me closer to becoming a Jonin.

I took a deep breath and then smiled to myself, taking a step forward and turning to face my friends. "So, who doesn't want to go through with this?"

My eyes fell on Sakura, who, despite her brave face, was quaking in her sandals. I rested my hands on her shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "You will be fine, Sakura-chan. You're the smartest of the four of us, and no matter what anyone says, you're stronger than they know. I've seen it. Don't worry; you won't disappoint."

Her cheeks flushed red. "Thank you, Mizuki."

"No problem!" I laughed. "Now, who's hungry? I think I've got enough money to be able to feed the four of us."

Sasuke turned and began walking in the direction of the forest, no doubt going to train for the exams. "I'll pass. Don't let that idiot steal all your money at the ramen shop."

"Shut up, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, then turned to me with a grin. He leaped towards me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, yanking me in the direction of the village, no doubt towards the Ramen Ichiraku.

* * *

"Come on, Mizuki! Just one more bowl, and I won't bother you again! Please?" Naruto begged, clasping his hands together under his chin as he looked at me with his wide blue eyes. I had to admit, it was possibly one of the worst puppy dog faces I had ever seen.

"You aren't very persuasive," I rolled my eyes and pushed my food around in my bowl. I had only managed to eat about half until I had begun to feel nauseous, which gave me the strangest feeling of deja vu. "Here, you can finish mine off."

"Yes!" He grabbed it and began quickly slurping it down. Sometimes I feared that if he didn't slow down a little bit, a noodle would wrap around something on its way down his throat and choke him. Sasuke or even Sakura probably wouldn't care too much if that had happened to Naruto, but I certainly did.

"Hey, Naruto, were you around those Sand village kids when they introduced themselves?" I asked him, feigning nonchalance. Naruto burped and leaned back a little to pat his protruding stomach. "What did the auburn haired one call himself?"

"Yeah, I was there, but I don't remember what he said his name was. He was only interested in Sasuke, and completely ignored me. Therefore I don't feel like I should have to listen and remember what his name was."

I sighed and rested my chin on my hand. How was I supposed to figure out who he was? The exams were most likely based on a number system, and the probability of me having the opportunity to learn his name during the first test was ten percent at best, and three percent at least. Ever since he had visited me in the hospital, I hadn't made any successful attempts at figuring out why his name was suddenly so important to me. He was so familiar; there was no way that someone that looked so like someone I had met before could be eluding me so perfectly. I believed, somewhere deep down, that I knew him and he knew me, and that for some reason, he didn't want me to know who he was, or rather, with my theory, remember who he was. And if that were the case, then why was he here if he knew this is where I lived? If I had seen this boy before, why would he return and risk me seeing him again, if we had indeed met long ago?

"Why do you want to know?" He asked suddenly.

"W-what?"

Naruto sighed. "Why do you want to know his name? I mean, it's really not that important if you want to beat him. He looks pretty weak."

"Naruto, you should know better than to underestimate any opponent," I scolded. "And besides, it couldn't hurt to know the names of the people we're going up against. In fact, in might just help us out in the long run."

"I think you're interested in him." He narrowed his eyes. "You like sand-boy."

"What? N-no I don't!" I insisted, unable to meet Naruto's uncharacteristic and suddenly perceptive eyes. Man, did Sakura underestimate this kid! "Honestly, I really just want to know his name."

Naruto's eyes narrowed even further, to the point where they were mere slits. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly wishing that I hadn't let Sakura leave so soon. He wouldn't have been bothering me if she was here, due to the fact that the poor boy was head-over-heels for her and she didn't even seem to notice. Or if she did notice, she didn't care. And that's when I got an idea.

"Well, hey, what about you and Sakura, huh?" I smirked. "Have you made any progress?"

"W-what? I don't like Sakura!" _Check and mate._

"Oh, on the contrary," I stuck my tongue out at him. "Yes you do! I see how you act around her. Anyone with eyes can see it; Sasuke probably knows it, too."

Naruto turned beet red. "Are you serious? Even Sasuke knows?"

I laughed and patted him on the back. "Don't worry, even if you find out one day that Sakura may not like you the same, there are other girls out there that have a thing for you."

"Really? Who? Tell me! Tell me!" He spun in his chair to face me, his hands clenched into fists as he waited for my answer. I grinned; it was only too easy to distract the kid.

"No, I think it will be more fun to watch you figure it out for yourself. But, I will give you a hint," I paused for exactly ten seconds and then continued. "She admires you and wishes to be stronger because of you."

He grimaced. "What kind of hint is that supposed to be?"

"The kind that makes you think a little," I stood and stretched, pulling my arms behind my head and leaving them there. It was a habit I had gotten from Naruto. Despite how awkward it looked, it was actually quite comfortable. "Now, are you just going to sit there and gawk at me or are we going to go do some training?"


	5. Four

**And this is how I shall repay my lovely reviewers! I have been working on this chapter for a few days, taking a little time here and there out of the time I've designated as my "study time." Basically, I can't stay focused. But not to worry, I am nearly done with exam prep. I'll be taking them on Wednesday, so you guys wish me luck, okay? Again, I'll probably take another hiatus once Monday comes around, but after Wednesday, I'll be ready to update big time!**

**So, for your shortly needed patience, I now give you this! It may not be that great, to some, but to others, it may be just what they were hoping for. I will say, however, that some things were not done in this chapter as they were done in the episode this event takes place. Know now that it is written just to be like that, because everything will fall into the plot and you'll eventually see what I've done and go, "Wow! I didn't see that coming!"**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! Feel free to leave a review and tell me how bad of a job I've done on this chapter, or even how great of a job I've done. Whatever your opinion is. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings; I need to be knocked down sometimes to improve. I'm getting there!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

It had been exactly one week since the day Kakashi-sensei had called us to the bridge. That day he had told us that we had been recommended, by him, to take the Chunin Exams. To be honest, I was more scared than I cared to admit. Without a doubt, there would be countless other ninja from the different Hidden Villages. And, without a doubt, they would be stronger than me. Why would Kakashi-sensei do this to us, when it was obvious that some of us weren't ready. My dream was to become a Jonin no matter what... but I didn't think I would be trying to go up the ranks before I had even been a Genin for a year. I wasn't ready; nowhere near it, but Kakashi-sensei believed I was ready. What did that count for?

It was early in the morning; the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, bathing Konoha with it's golden hue. I was still lying in my bed staring up at the ceiling. My motivation to get out of my bed could be described as infinitesimal at best. I was sure that even my other team members, who were surely stronger than I was, had a slip of doubt in the corners of their minds. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura... they all had a skill set that suited them in their battles and helped them win them. I had the Byakugan that I had inherited from the Hyuga, but it wasn't my own, and I hadn't entirely mastered it yet. Sometimes I felt like Naruto did whenever he couldn't get something right. If I was from a prominent clan, who was known for their power and strategic use of that power, then why couldn't I use my ability as well as my relatives who had also inherited the skill?

Neji... the Byakugan obviously favored him. There were so many things he could do that I could only dream of, and he was from the Branch family no less. Was I from the Branch family? Was that why I could never do anything right when I was training? No, that couldn't be right. Hinata was from the Head family and even she had yet to master her Byakugan, too. Did the Hyuga's Kekkei Genkai really choose its favorites? Before I could speculate this any further, however, my alarm clock began to buzz annoyingly. I rolled over and slammed my hand down on the top of it and sighed. Today was the day to prove myself.

After a about thirty seconds of gathering what was left of my courage, I kicked my legs free of their entanglement and slid to the edge of my bed. I took a deep breath and then stood, wandering towards the bathroom. Once the door was shut and locked, I glanced in the mirror, staring at my reflection. It was obvious that I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night; the circles under my eyes looked like bruises. I sighed and turned on the tap, holding my hands beneath the water and rubbed my face. There would be no time for naps, and I had a sinking feeling that last night had been my only night to get some proper sleep.

"Mizuki! Are you awake yet? Sasuke and Naruto are here!" Sakura called from outside the door.

"I'm awake," I said. "I'm getting ready, give me a minute."

I waited until I couldn't hear her footsteps anymore and then ran my fingers through my hair, pushing it away from my face. It fell back into my eyes and I slouched in defeat. It was about time for another haircut. I reached for my headband and proceeded to tie it around its usual place around my forehead. I figured Naruto was anxious to see what the exams were going to be like, since he and Sasuke had come to get Sakura and I. When I opened the door to the bathroom, surely enough, Sakura was sitting on my bed, Naruto was lying on the floor, and Sasuke was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you ready yet?" Naruto complained from the ground, rolling his head to the side so he could look at me. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule."

"Look at you!" I teased as I walked over to him and pressed my foot against his stomach. "It seems little Naruto is ready to get his ass kicked."

Naruto pushed my foot away and scrambled to his feet, looking positively furious. I laughed and turned on my heel, waving over my shoulder in a manner that silently said for him to ignore my statement. The three walked behind me in complete silence, probably thinking about the same things I had been thinking about earlier this morning. Would we succeed? Did we have what it took to become Chunin? Are we the weak and immature Genin that everyone thinks we are? Even Naruto, the number one hyperactive knuckle-head ninja, understood the seriousness of our situation, and remained silent.

* * *

"Hey, let us through!"

"We all have the right to go through here!"

"We want to become Chunin, too!"

"We're doing you brats a favor by not letting you through. These exams are tougher than those little graduation exams you had to take back in the Academy," explained the young man to the right. "Trust us, you don't want to take these exams." The one on the left finished. I opened my mouth to counter his words with a smart remark, but Sasuke shook his head. I glanced up at him, surprised that he hadn't let me tell those guys off. He took a few steps forward and crossed his arms over his chest. The two guys glanced at him and then at our group, then back at each other, and started laughing.

"Little punks like you guys are the reason we're here. You should be thanking us right now."

I rolled my eyes, but Sasuke's expression didn't change. "Drop the tough act, and while you're at it, do the same with your Genjutsu; I can see right through it. I don't really appreciate being held up when I've got important things I need to take care of.

"How did you-"

"Aren't I right, Sakura?" Ignoring the young men if front of us, Sasuke briefly turned to glance at Sakura, who nodded and smiled encouragingly. "This is only the second floor, but I would like to get up to the third, if you don't mind."

"You've got promise, kid." The two smirked and stepped back, disappearing. Sasuke started forward and we followed him in silence until Naruto spoke up.

"Say, Sasuke, how did you know there was Genjutsu in place?"

"We only went up two flights of stairs, idiot," Sasuke sighed. "It's not that hard to comprehend. I'm sure even Mizuki could see it."

I tapped the corners of my eyes with a smile and crossed my arms over my chest. Naruto frowned in defeat and fell into step beside me. The silence that hung over us was filled with apprehension. Not a single one of us knew what was going to be our first test. I was afraid of failing. What if the rest of my team passed, but I was deemed unworthy to become a Chunin? I didn't have Sasuke's genius, or Sakura's chakra control, or Naruto's stamina and rare but raw power. I was book smart; how could that be of any use on the battle field? I could see it now, the puny Genin on the sidelines of a major battle screaming reminders from the book about chakra control and proper defense methods.

"How hard do you guys think this exam will be?" I whispered suddenly, making everyone stop to look at me. Sakura tried to wrap a comforting arm around my shoulders, but I shrugged her away. "I mean... we've worked hard, but with this, it could all just be for nothing. Are we even ready for this?" _Am I ready for this? _

"Mizuki, cheer up," Naruto pleaded. "You're putting me in a bad mood! I need to stay upbeat!"

"You're so insensitive, Naruto!" Sakura snapped. "It's going to be fine, Mizuki. If anyone can pass a written exam, it's you."

"But what if we fight?" I asked, looking between the three of them. "You guys know..."

"But you can-"

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke was interrupted by a boy in a green jumpsuit with onyx hair shaped into a bowl-cut and big bushy eyebrows. I shuddered inwardly, taking a step back. I watched silently as Sasuke stepped forward.

"Who are you?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched ever-so-slightly. I had deemed it as his "bad-boy slouch." "What do you want?"

"I want to fight you," he said, then paused before he added, "right now!"

"You didn't answer my first question," Sasuke sighed and turned on his heel. "I don't know how motivated I feel. Maybe we'll get the chance during the exams."

"I'm Rock Lee! Before I enter the exams, I intend to test my power against the strongest rookie ninja. Of course, that means I must start with you!"

Sasuke turned and glared at Rock Lee, his pitch black eyes giving the impression that he could see straight through that kid and right into his soul. "Mizuki, what do you think?" Sasuke asked quietly, his eyes never straying from the boy in the green jumpsuit.

I watched Rock Lee. He didn't seem very interesting, and he looked pretty familiar. Probably because there was an older man that looked nearly identical to this boy. I think his name is Might Guy or something like that. I sighed and shook my head.

"Regardless of how strong he is or isn't, Sasuke, you don't need to be fighting until given the chance during the exam. You heard what Kakashi-sensei told us," I walked up to him and leaned close so only he could hear me. "And besides, I know how much you want to prove your own strength, and from the day we introduced ourselves, I think I have an idea why. Don't ruin your chances by fighting and potentially getting hurt."

He shook his head and gently pushed me back. Somewhere in the back of my head I knew Sasuke was going to fight no matter what I said. Rock Lee smirked and jumped down, landing in a crouch. He stood straight and lifted his hand, palm up, in a fighting stance.

"Come on, Sasuke Uchiha, we don't have much time, and I intend to win."

"Sasuke, stop, I don't like this." I urged quietly, resting my hand on his shoulder. He shrugged me off and took a step forward.

I grimaced and formed the hand seal for my Kekkei Genkai. "Byakugan!"

I grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and pushed him back as I walked forward. I stopped exactly three feet away from Rock Lee. "I'm asking you nicely to stop this nonsense now. If you don't, I will be forced to stop you."

"Mizuki, get back-"

"No!" I snapped, never looking away from Lee. "I know what you want from life, Sasuke, and I'm going to help you get what you want. I won't let you ruin it here. I won't let you take that chance."

"It's not you I want to fight," Lee said determinedly. "It's Sasuke. Please step aside, Mizuki Hyuga."

"Shut up." I slid my right foot forward, lowered my left arm, and raised my right arm in a fighting stance. Neji had trained me, but I still hadn't mastered the Gentle Fist fighting style of my family like he had. I didn't know why this Lee was so confident in himself; confident enough to challenge Sasuke. It made me nervous. "Don't underestimate me."

"I never underestimate the Hyuga clan; however I still don't want to fight you." His voice was bitter. "But if you insist."

Everything began running in slow motion then; Lee swung his left arm around, and I leaned back to easily dodge his attack. I flipped backwards and recalculated my distance from him. I was five feet away, which was too far for him to reach me, though that worked both ways. With my Byakugan, I could see the chakra flowing through his body; I could see some of his vital chakra points. However, the point I was focused on was the one that would halt his chakra flow, immediately making me the winner of this fight. He feinted to the right, completely disappearing. I forced my body to relax and took deep breaths, focusing on the energy surrounding me. He was running at an overwhelming speed, just barely making my Byakugan useless. If he were to strike, I would have only a window of probably .10 seconds to react. I reached into my weapons pouch on my left leg and pulled out four shuriken. It was time to react.

"Hidden Ninja Art: Heat Seeking Shuriken!"

The shuriken held between my fingers began to glow a violent shade of red. I flung my arm out, sending the shuriken off in the same direction, though they immediately took off of their own accord, seeking their target. They weren't ordinary shuriken; they wouldn't be dodged as easily. Ever since I had become a Genin, and realized that my Ninjutsu and Genjutsu skills were below the average ninja, I had been forcing myself to get better at using the jutsu I knew I could perform. This Heat Seeking Shuriken Jutsu was something I had created on my own, though. It was simple, and allowed me to use my brain and minimal chakra.

Despite his speed, Lee was caught by one of the shuriken. He cried out when it hit him and stopped running, appearing suddenly about six and a half to my left. The shuriken had struck him in the shoulder, probably in a minor artery. He was bleeding enough to worry someone, but not enough to be in any danger. My .10 seconds were up, so before he could collect himself, I lunged forward and jabbed the tip of my hand into the shoulder that wasn't wounded. He cried out again and fell back, hitting the stone floor with a painful _thud_. This was the end of the fight.

I had to admit, even I was surprised that I had won, not even knowing what his attacks were like. He moved at a speed that was capable of making him invisible to the naked eye, which had been intimidating at first. Looking at Rock Lee for the first time, he didn't look very intimidating at all. He was thin and lanky, and even looked relatively nerdy. His bowl-cut and big, bushy eyebrows didn't help that assumption at all. To sum it up, he was intense looking, but at the same time, he didn't look like a formidable opponent. This was probably why it was so easy to underestimate him. I could tell he was strong; no one could run that fast without being a Taijutsu master of sorts. If he was aiming to fight the strongest rookie ninja in the Hidden Leaf, then he certainly didn't need to fight me. If he hadn't shown his true strength yet, then my win was merely a fluke. There was nothing more to it. The only reason I had gotten through this fight unharmed was my ability to analyze situations so quickly.

I held my hand out to him. He took it, and I helped him stand. "I think I'm more surprised than you are."

He shook his head. "I doubt it."

"I learned from my cousin," I shrugged. "He's been keeping me at level one for the past few months, so I didn't think I could do anything. I mean, you're really fast. I'm not as skilled as he is; a far cry from it, and Hinata is surely a better fighter than I am, too. I've had less training over the years, so it's harder for me, I guess."

"You learned from Neji..." the bitterness returned to his voice. He touched his shoulder and winced. "He doesn't normally take on the teaching role."

"I'm closer to him than Hinata is. He says it's because we're very alike and different in a lot of ways." I said and then sighed. "This fight is over, I guess. It doesn't matter if you were to try anything now; your chakra flow has been stopped, and I would say due to your wound and ceased chakra flow, your overall speed would have decreased by about twenty-five percent."

"You're pretty smart." Lee said, his bushy eyebrows knitting together. I shuddered and averted my eyes.

"Mizuki," I turned and walked quickly towards where Sasuke and the others were waiting for me. "What was that jutsu you performed on that guy?"

"It was nothing really," I said. "I created it on my own. When you have nothing better to do when you're sitting by yourself in a forest, you get pretty creative. All I did was infuse my shuriken with chakra and basically turned them into a weapon that seeks intense heat or rapid pulses. Because Lee was running so fast, he was creating both. He was able to dodge all but one. It was pretty impressive."

"No, that jutsu was pretty impressive," Sasuke said quietly. "You'll have to teach me it sometime whenever we get the chance."

My face warmed. Me; teach Sasuke Uchiha? "No, there's nothing that you could possibly learn from me."

"You're too modest." Sasuke smiled; actually smiled! Then he turned serious again and leaned towards me conspiratorially. "Why did you fight him? Why didn't you just let me handle it?"

I shrugged, lifting my hands. "Sasuke, I've told you once, I've told you a million times. You plan on doing something big that will change your life, right? You desperately want something, whatever it is. You want to be strong, and I can understand that. I want to be strong. I think I needed that fight more than you did, Sasuke. You're a genius of sorts; you could probably master any jutsu Kakashi-sensei threw at you. It took me a year to finally be able to send out four heat seeking shuriken. Imagine what you could do in a week."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but I could see the gears turning in his head. I didn't want to give off the impression that I was jealous of his genius, but if I was honest with myself, I truly was jealous of him. He was from the acclaimed Uchiha clan of the Village Hidden in the Leaves who possessed the powerful Sharingan; a Kekkei Genkai that was stronger than even the Byakugan. The possessor has the ability to see and easily predict the movements of anyone they fight against, regardless of how fast they're moving, giving the impression that they can even see into the future. The Sharingan can copy any move that isn't genetic like the Byakugan or anything of the sort. Sasuke was among the most talented rookie ninja in the Hidden Leaf. So where did that leave me?

"Thanks, Mizuki," Sasuke slung his arm around my shoulder and gave me a light squeeze. "You're a good friend. I owe you one."

I shook my head. "You don't owe me anything, except the satisfaction of watching you succeed."


	6. Five

**Hey everyone! Another update. I just want to thank everyone who has shown support for this story. You guys are awesome. I've finished the study guides for my own exams, so now all there is to it is the take the exams. Wish me luck everyone! I also wish those of my followers and reviewers who are taking exams as well the best of luck!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

We had reached the waiting room with plenty of time to spare, obviously. The applicants for the Chunin Exam were waiting, clearly tense and in low spirits, in small groups scattered about the room. It was silent except for the barely audible whispers of comrades as they tried to analyze their opponents.

"Sasuke-kun!"

_Kill me now..._ Ino Yamanaka had come from seemingly nowhere and had wrapped her arms around Sasuke, who looked both taken by surprise and thoroughly unenthusiastic about being held by a crazed fan-girl. Sakura screeched her annoyance and surprise at Ino's sudden appearance. I barely noticed them; they were always fighting over Sasuke, and if it annoyed me, I couldn't even imagine how the victim felt. Ino's teammates, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, were standing behind, with Shikamaru looking extremely bored and with Choji eating a bag of potato chips. It didn't surprise me that none of them were trying to take this exam seriously. Fighting over boys, stuffing your face, claiming the exam was so bothersome... the complaints never ended.

We had all gone to the Academy together, so I knew them well. Shikamaru was always saying that things he didn't want to do were bothersome. He couldn't be bothered to take tests, he couldn't be bothered to train, most of the time, and even now, he couldn't be bothered to take the Chunin Exams seriously. When he did take a test, he did extremely well. He was too smart; I've seen him and Asuma-sensei play Japanese checkers, and it never failed that Shikamaru always came out the victor. I wondered why, since he was so smart, he hardly ever put his skills to use. Choji didn't seem like much either. He was relatively slow, not nearly as smart as Shikamaru, and was always eating something. He came from the Akimichi clan, who were also all relatively slow, not extremely smart, and always eating something. Ino Yamanaka also didn't contribute much to her team. She was fairly smart and was known for always fighting with Sakura for the top spot in the class. She had a strong determination, which almost always allowed her to get what she wanted. She was very pretty, and unlike Sakura, had scary-good persuasive skills. Besides that though, I didn't know if she had any other talents.

"I don't want to be here..." Shikamaru sighed, letting his head fall backwards. I grimaced and sat down on the floor, lying back and resting my head on my hands. It hadn't quieted down for long. The last of the Rookie Ten had finally arrived, effectively creating more noise.

"I'm getting really tired of all this waiting." I muttered. The others decided then it would be a good idea to close their mouths and look around the room. The entire place was so thickly layered with tension that even a razor-sharp kunai wouldn't be unable to cut through it. "Where is this so called proctor anyway? You'd think that they could be on time."

"He might be gathering all of the names of the people who have come today. Who knows?" Kiba Inuzuka shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I agree with Mizuki!" Naruto shouted. "I'm ready to win already!"

"Shut up, stupid," I snapped, opening my eyes to glare up at the grinning blonde. "Do you want to make a bunch of enemies before you even begin?"

"I don't care!" He laughed and crossed his arms over his head, smiling so wide his eyes were closed. "I'm not going to lose to the likes of you guys. Believe it!"

Though I admired his confidence, I wasn't the type to let him continue to run his mouth. I stood, slapping the dust off my pants and punched him, swinging my left arm around to connect with the side of his head. Naruto reeled back, looking angry and utterly confused. We were a team, and team members didn't let their other team members do anything stupid. That, and Naruto wasn't helping the agitated atmosphere of those who were waiting, just as we were; the tension had become nearly tangible, and to be honest, I didn't have the strength to fight every last ninja who was in this room. Even if I hadn't fought earlier, I probably only would have had a three percent chance. I wasn't going to test that.

"What are you doing, Mizuki?" He snapped.

"Shutting you up!" I hissed. "Do you not have eyes, Naruto? Do you even see who is in this room? Any one of these guys could kill you in an instant; before you could even blink! And they could do it without a second thought. We're all Genin, but you seem to be the only one who constantly underestimates his opponents!"

"She's right," we turned to look at a Leaf ninja with white hair that looked as though it had been halfheartedly thrown into a ponytail and round glasses. He gave us a small, reassuring smile and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "The ninja that sign up for these exams are no joke. This isn't a field trip. You really should be a little quieter and use this time to your advantage. Goa head and take a good look around you."

We listened to him and let our eyes travel across the room. Mostly everyone who was waiting for the first test to begin were watching us, and not a single one of them looked amused at our little confrontation. A few looked absolutely livid, another half looked as though they were contemplating how to kill us right them. It was unsettling to see so many foreign ninja so close to home, and so ready to fight without an actual reason. They were waiting now, though, to see exactly how this new confrontation would play out.

"Who are you, acting so haughty!" Ino exclaimed, her arms still wrapped in a death-grip around Sasuke.

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. I'm only giving you all a fair warning. If you choose not to heed it, it's not my fault. You all remind me of my old self."

"Kabuto... is this your first time taking the exams?" Sakura asked, stepping away from where she had previously stood, arguing with Ino.

"No, I'm afraid this would be my seventh time taking the exams. This Exam only takes place twice a year, so this would now be my fourth year."

"So that means you must know a lot about these exams!" Sakura said excitedly.

"Kind of, I guess..." Kabuto demurred.

"Wow, you must be pretty awesome, Kabuto!" Naruto exclaimed.

Shikamaru shook his head. "But you haven't even passed yet," he scoffed. "What makes you so great?"

"Well, yes, that is the case, I suppose..." Kabuto chuckled. "So, maybe I should give a little bit of information to my cute juniors, with these Ninja Info Cards."

He pulled out a deck of cards, and in a way that seemed almost habitual, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The cards themselves were unremarkable, having a decorated back and blank white front, and made me wonder if this guy really knew as much as he was claiming to. "To put it simply, they're cards that have information burned into them and coded with chakra. I spent four whole years gathering information for this exam. There are close to two hundred of these cards. They are pure white to the eye, but to open the data on these cards-"

"What're you doing?" Sasuke asked suddenly, moving in between everyone so he could get a better view.

"The way it works is that no one can see this information without using my chakra. For example, like this..." He placed the first two fingers of his right on the deck, and held the first two fingers of his left hand a few inches away from his face, just below his upper lip.

"Whoa, that's too cool!" I said, lowering myself to my knees in front of Kabuto. A small map had been fit onto the card, and what looked to be numbers, bars, and Hidden Village symbols were also present. "What does all that mean?"

"The number of test-takers and participating nations, and the number of applicants from each respective village is individually displayed. Why do you think that the Chunin Exam is jointly conducted in the first place? It's said it's done to deepen friendship among nations first and to boost the shinobi levels second. However, the real aim is in the checking of the shinobi levels of neighboring nations and equalizing the balance of power."

"Why are such bothersome things done?" Shikamaru asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"If it's not done, the weak nations will be invaded by the strong nations in no time at all, and may end up being controlled unilaterally. There is a point to mutual supervision. Probably."

"Huh," Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "Of those cards, is there detailed individual information?"

"Yes, there are..." he smiled a small smile. "Are there ones you're especially concerned about?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

Kabuto sighed. "The information on the applicant this time around is not perfect, and is not without its flaws. It is burned in and saved, however; you guys included. Now, about the ones you're concerned about... anything is fine. Just tell me their information and I'll retrieve it for you."

Despite the fact that I was curious about how those cards of his worked, I turned and observed the room. I couldn't help the unease I had felt just moments ago when that man had said that he had information on everyone. Not only did he have information about every hidden village, but it wasn't the village as a whole, but also the ninja that resided there. How could a Genin from the Hidden Leaf village know so much about all of the other villages shinobi? What was this guy playing at? The ninja in the room were watching from the corners of their eyes, or even less covertly, deciding just to turn around completely and watch. There was no one in this room that wanted their weaknesses displayed; I wasn't an exception. No one was infallible.

I turned and crossed my arms over my chest. "You said your name was Kabuto. I've never heard of you or even seen you around the village. Are you from here?"

"Oh, yes, I'm from here, Miss Hyuga, there's no need to worry. And now that you know me, there is no need to introduce yourself; I've familiarized myself with my opponents at this point. However, I'm sure the rest of this room also knows who you are, thanks to your friend."

I glared at Naruto. There were times when I wished I could just beat him to the ground until he admitted defeat, and even then, I wouldn't stop. He was probably one of the biggest idiots I had ever met, but then again... I didn't know what I would do without this big idiot, because he always seemed to be the one to keep our team motivated. Naruto laughed nervously and scratched his head with obvious guilt.

"Sorry, Mizuki," he chuckled. There was fear in his voice. "I didn't mean to."

"You never think." I muttered. Then I sighed. "All of your cards are up to date, right, Kabuto?"

"Yes." He pushed his glasses up once more. "But as far as the Village Hidden in the Sound goes, I don't have much. It's a village of a small nation that has sprung up in recent years, so there really isn't much information to gather. At any rate, they're all Hidden Villages with nothing but crackerjacks. They're all top elite Genin ninja, specifically chosen to take these exams. They're nothing to take lightly."

"That kind of makes you lose your confidence," Hinata murmured from behind Kiba, her right hand fisted tightly in front of her mouth. I looked away from them and allowed my eyes to wander. It didn't take very long for someone to attack our high-strung group. Out of nowhere, an older male, probably in his early twenties flung two kunai in Kabuto's direction. He flipped and dodged it, sliding back. He stood straight, but his hands were slightly raised in a fighting stance. Another man came out of nowhere, obviously older than the first, and swung at him. Kabuto, once again, easily dodged, with a smirk plastered to his face. But before he could realize what had actually happened, I dropped to the ground, clutching desperately at my ear trying to get the damned contraption out of it. I threw it at the floor, still clutching the sides of my head. How could it be that I could still hear the ringing? Everyone around me was trying to talk to me, trying to get me to put the hearing aid back in so I could hear them, but I couldn't do it. The world had begun to spin. I glanced at Kabuto from the corner of my eyes, and like me, he too was on his knees.

I forced back the sudden nausea and closed my eyes as tightly shut as I could. I couldn't hear anything except the dull ringing. The hearing aid lay five feet away, covered in red. My eyes went wide, and suddenly, I knew exactly what had happened. That man hadn't hit Kabuto, yet he was on his knees, probably throwing up the contents of his breakfast, his shattered glasses hanging at the tip of nose. My hearing aid was the only thing that allowed me to hear, and so when those ninja attacked, they hadn't physically hit anyone. They were shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Sound; their forehead protectors proved that assumption. The man who had attacked Kabuto the second time was glaring down at me, looking angry, triumphant, and confused at the same time. His eyes wandered to the bloody contraption and realization hit him. Slowly and with the help of Naruto and Sakura, I rose to my feet. I reached over and grabbed the hearing aid and put it back in my ear, turning the small dial to adjust the volume, but I still couldn't hear anything. The frequency of that man's attack had broken it.

I took it out of my ear and threw it at him, but he leaned to the side to let it fly by him and hit the wall. It shattered and fell to the ground in what looked like a million pieces. I pushed my hair out of my face and reached back into the small, tan pouch attached to my waist. I rummaged around until felt it; the spare hearing aid that I kept handy. The Hidden Sound Village had given me two so I could hear out of both ears, but I was suddenly grateful for not using them both at the same time. I put it in my ear and turned the dial to a low volume; just enough to hear, but quiet enough so it wouldn't bother me. My head was still spinning, and I still felt nauseous. I didn't know if he would attack again, and I didn't know if I could handle another blow like that. This was my last hearing aid.

"Mizuki, are you okay?" Sakura blocked my view of the Sound ninja. I focused on her, trying to keep my eyes from fading in and out. I nodded and pushed her to the side, but didn't let go of her shoulder. I pushed Naruto in the direction of Kabuto, who was still recovering.

"So he's not so special, after all." The older man said, his voice a low and surprisingly soothing murmur. His eyes then turned to me. I raised my hand to my ear, ready to remove the hearing aid if he tried anything. He only laughed. "But I remember you."

"How... I don't-" He laughed, cutting off my attempt at speech. He then ignored me and returned his attention to Kabuto. The younger man spoke this time, however.

"Hey, write this on your stupid cards." He snapped. "The three from Sound Village... doubtless Chunin."

"Silence!"

Everyone turned their attention to the smoke that was quickly spreading through the room, and evaporating just as fast. A man with four long scars, two on either side of his face, stood before everyone with a volley of Chunin standing behind him with arrogant looks. The man had a small smile on his face. He looked positively frightening. I turned the volume of my hearing aid up a little so I could hear him better.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..." he said. "I am Ibiki Morino; proctor for the first test of the Chunin Exams!"


	7. Six

**This is disappointing. The chapter was intended to be longer, but my computer crashed while I was typing and did not save my work. However, it's okay, because it's all going to be in the next chapter! Now, I hope you guys like this one, because I tried my very best at capturing the tense atmosphere of the testing room and everything else that happened in that scene of Naruto, and added some things of my own. **

**I'm taking my exams today, so wish me luck. After that, I won't be able to update for a few days because I'll be going out of state for a vacation type thing, so I'll be away from my computer. Quote, unquote, "No technology allowed!" Yup. So enjoy~!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

The man standing before us had forced everyone into an unbearable silence. His eyes traveled around the room, taking in every last detail as though he were trying to memorize this very moment. My head was still spinning, and a dull ache had manifested in my temples. The Sound ninja didn't move, and when the older man met Ibiki Morino's eyes, the proctor finally spoke, shattering the silence.

"You, from the Hidden Sound Village!" Ibiki shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the three shinobi. "No doing as you please before the exam! Do you want to be failed before you even get the chance to begin?"

"Our apologies... it's our first time taking the exam, you see. We flipped out... despite ourselves." The older man said in his melodic voice. To me, it sounded as though the bastard was taunting him; practically daring him to fail him and his team members. It made me even more nauseous just thinking about what he could do from a distance. He had the ability to manipulate sound. How could you fight something you couldn't see, and was so high pitched you couldn't hear?

"This seems like a good a time as any to say this," Ibiki said. "There will be no battles, competitions, and the like without the permission of the proctors! And even if you get permission... actions that could lead to the death of your opponent are prohibited, and will not be tolerated. Any pig that screws with me will be disqualified immediately. I hope I've made myself perfectly clear."

The tension had returned. No one knew who the proctor was going to be and what he was going to be like. Even still, there was no telling what could piss this man off. Obviously fighting was out of the question, but did that mean all forms? There was always going to a verbal tiff between comrades at some point. How could you disqualify someone for disagreeing with something their teammate had done. And if only one man pissed this Ibiki guy off, would the entire squad be disqualified, or just that unlucky soul who irritated the proctor? No one responded, fearing that if he got a response, then those who responded would be disqualified. We were all trapped in what was looking to become an impossible situation.

The younger man of the Sound shinobi chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced at his comrades, being the older man who looked to be in a permanent slouch, and a woman with long black hair and a childish face, and smirked. They were too confident in themselves, and that wasn't a good thing. Even if someone were very strong and in every battle they fought, could never be beaten, how could someone be so confident in themselves? It just didn't seem possible.

"Now then, we start the first test of the Chunin Exam! Turn in your applications, take one of these number cards in exchange, and sit in the seat matching that number. After that, we will hand out the paper for the written test."

I glanced at Naruto, who looked completely dumbfounded. If there was anyone that couldn't do a written test, it was Naruto. Over the years that I had known him, he had failed nearly every test he had ever been given at the Academy. If it was a practical test, where he could put his skills to the test, he was usually pretty good about it. Naruto just wasn't the type to sit behind a desk with a pencil in his hand. I knew exactly what he was worrying about, and I understood exactly why.

Sakura helped me walk towards the mob of Chunin proctors who were taking in applications and handing out numbers. When it was our turn, Sakura stepped out in front, handing the young man both of our applications. Before we could walk into the room, however, he stopped us. He grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. He placed his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me down so I was at eye level with him. He turned my head to the side and took out my hearing aid so he could examine my ear. I had been taken by surprise, so my heart was pounding away, which wasn't helping my headache at all. I blinked three times, trying to make the black spots in my vision go away. He put the hearing aid back into my ear and patted my back.

"You'll be okay," he said reassuringly. "You just need to sit down. I'll have one of the other proctors give you some pain medication before the test begins."

I nodded and Sakura once again took hold of my arm and led me into the classroom. She looked at my number and led me to my seat before she left for her own. As I sat down, I gripped the edges of the table so I wouldn't fall. As the other test-takers filed in, taking their seats, I rested my head on the table. My headache was only getting worse. It was like someone was throwing bricks at my head from the inside, hitting all the spots that would ensure that I would endure the worst pain possible. If I passed out, I would be disqualified for sure. If I showed any sign of weakness, I would be disqualified for sure. I couldn't have that happen to me. I had trained so hard and for so long that it just wouldn't be fair if I got disqualified before I could begin. It wouldn't be fair.

"Mizuki Hyuga, your medicine," I looked up at a smiling woman, who, in one hand held a pill, and in the other, held a small glass of water. I gratefully took the pill and washed it down with the water. She bowed slightly. "I hope you feel better. It'd be a shame for you to be disqualified before we get to see what you can do."

I nodded and rested my chin in my hands, watching her leave. My head was still pounding, but I figured the medicine wouldn't kick in immediately. My mind began to drift to uncertain places then, as I waited for the test to begin. What was the point of this exam if at every corner there was a variable? There was always going to be some mishap... something that would make this obstacle nearly impossible to overcome. Naruto was no good at written tests. Would this be the end of our attempt at becoming Chunin? I lowered my head and ran my fingers through my hair and then pulled it, clenching my eyes as tightly shut as they could get. How could I overcome this obstacle? _Think, Mizuki, think. You can do this. So what if Naruto is incompetent. You are more than capable. _

Before I could worry myself any further, there was an annoying tapping sound at the front of the classroom. "There are several important rules to this first test. I will take no questions, so listen well!"

There was a collective murmur throughout the classroom. I removed my hands from my hair and laced my fingers beneath my chin, watching as Ibiki Morino began writing the rules on the board in very sloppy handwriting.

"First off, the first rule is that you are given ten points each from the start, and the written test has ten questions in all. Each question is one point, and this test is based off of a point deduction system. One point is deducted for every question you get wrong. So, for example, if you get three wrong you'll have seven points left, and so on and so forth. The second rule: pass or failure will be determined by the total points of the three-person teams."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura shouted, a note of desperation in her voice. "What do you mean, total points of the teams?"

"Shut up!" He snapped. "There is a perfectly good reason for this. Shut up and listen! If you've got it, here is the most important next rule. Those who are deemed by the sentinels as having committed an act of cheating or something of the sort, you will have two points deducted for each act. In other words... there may be those who will be dismissed during this test without waiting for test grading. Know now that those who commit awkward cheating will bring ruin upon themselves."

A proctor along the side smiled to himself and tapped his clipboard. "I'll check you at anytime."

"If you aspire to become a Chunin at all, know that shinobi should act like exemplary shinobi. And in the case of even one person on the team getting zero points, everyone on that team will fail!"

My eyes wandered down to where Naruto sat. He was doubled over, his face pressing against the desk. He was visibly shaking. I could understand now why the test was so hard, and why Kabuto had failed so many times. The proctors for the exams may have changed every so often, but with every change came a more difficult obstacle. Ibiki Morino was testing us, but what was he testing us on? Surely there was something he wanted us to get out of everything he was saying, but what was he trying to say? _Think, Mizuki. What does Morino want you to think? _There was a gleam in his eyes; he looked like a kid in a candy store.

"By the way, the last problem will be given forty-five minutes after the start of the test. The time for the test is one hour."

My eyes turned to the clock on the wall. There was ten seconds left until it was exactly twelve in the afternoon. The seconds hand ticked by at an unbearably slow pace. _Five, four, three... two... one..._

"Begin!"

Almost immediately, people flipped over their test papers and began writing. I was a little less enthusiastic about it, though. I turned over my paper and wrote my name, letting my eyes roam the paper as I did so. There were only nine questions on the paper, which led me to believe that once our hour was up, Proctor Ibiki would tell us the tenth question. I assumed it was just another one of those things that was designed to keep the test-takers on their toes. Well, it was definitely working. Just looking at the first question made me wonder why I was here in the first place. There was no way that Naruto could answer questions like these. Sakura would have no problem, and Sasuke may get it after a little while of thinking about it, and I'm sure I was the same, but Naruto... I shook my head and tapped the eraser side of my pencil against the desk.

What had Proctor Ibiki said? _"If you aspire to become a Chunin at all, know that shinobi should act like exemplary shinobi."_

I looked around the room. Already, there were those who had figured it out long before me. This test hadn't been designed to test our intelligence; it was to test our information gathering skills. It was obvious now. They had put us in what seemed like an impossible situation, but really hadn't been. They were forcing us to cheat. Ibiki Morino and the other proctors could probably see everything we were doing. Even if we were acting like "exemplary shinobi" and using our techniques to cheat, they could probably see it all. I imagined that what they were doing was judging whether or not it would be good enough in the real world.

My headache was beginning to go away, and I silently thanked the proctor who had snatched me to the side and had determined I needed at least some sort of medicine. I scanned the sides of the room from the corners of my eyes and let my hands fall beneath the table. I cursed myself for not being practiced enough with my Kekkei Genkai. _"Byakugan!"_

With the Byakugan, I had 360 degree vision. Even though I didn't turn and look, I could see the paper of the man sitting next to me, as well as the paper of the other man behind me. The man beside me was visibly shaking and hadn't written much besides his name, and the man behind me was just staring at his paper. I turned my attention to the girl sitting in front of me. Her paper had the first three questions answered, and she had just moved on to the fourth. I smiled inwardly and began writing, never moving my eyes from her paper. When she was done with question four, she set down her pencil to massage her hand. I looked up and looked around the room again. There was a man standing, visibly shaking, and looking as though he wanted to scream obscenities and cry at the same time. There was a kunai stuck to his desk, right in the center of his test paper.

"Sir, w-what was that for?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"You made five mistakes. You fail!" Said the proctor that had pulled me to the side earlier. There was a smirk on his face that gave off the impression that he was enjoying himself far too much. "Take your two buddies over there with you."

It was after that that the proctors finally began calling out numbers of people who had failed for being caught. I took a deep breath, held it in for a moment, and then let it out slowly. Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, nor I had been called out. For the time being, we were safe. Sasuke, if he figured it out, would be able to cheat without issue. He had the Sharingan. Sakura was smart; she could figure out the questions with little difficulty. Naruto was another story; if he tried to cheat and got caught, we would fail. Naruto had no way of being able to spy without being obvious. He was the type to lean over and glance at someone else's paper and jot down the answers as quickly as possible, and with the proctors watching us like hawks, there was no way Naruto wouldn't get caught if he tried. I had figured out the trick to passing the first test, and yet, passing wasn't even definite.

_"Come on, Naruto!" _I thought to myself. _"You can do this!"_

"It has been forty-five minutes since the start of this test..." Ibiki said, breaking the tension. Everyone looked up at him, waiting with a mixture of eagerness and terror. "Here is the tenth question! But before that, I think I'll add some rules to this question."

Before he could say anything more, the door to the classroom opened, and in walked the young man with the purple markings on his face, followed by one of the proctors who sat along the sidelines. He glanced around the room, probably wondering why the entire room was staring at him as though he had just stolen something important from them.

"Well," Ibiki chuckled. "Aren't you lucky? It looks like playing with the dolls wasn't a waste after all."

I remembered his name was Kankuro; he had been the guy I had encountered along with the other Suna shinobi. He looked nervous after what Ibiki had just said, and I wondered why. Playing with the dolls? What was that supposed to mean? Ignoring the proctors comment, Kankuro started towards his seat, along the way resting his hand on his teammates desk for a fraction of a second. A small white square had been dropped there. The girl quickly grabbed it up and slid her hands beneath the table and waited patiently for Ibiki to continue.

"Let me explain!" Ibiki said, now that Kankuro had sat down. "These are the hopeless rules. First you will have to choose whether you will stay to take this tenth question."

"What!" The woman from Suna exclaimed. "What happens if we choose not to take the tenth question?"

"If you choose not to finish the exam, then your score will be zero." He smiled. "In other words, you fail! And of course, the same rules apply to your teammates. They will have to leave with you. Also... one more rule... if you choose to take the tenth question, and answer it incorrectly... then you will have to relinquish your right to taking the Chunin Exam forever!"

"What kind of ridiculous rule is that?" Kiba jumped out of his seat, pointing an accusing finger at the proctor. "Besides, there are plenty of people here who have taken the Chunin Exam many times."

It was obvious that Kiba was referring to Kabuto. I nodded and laced my fingers beneath my chin. Where did this proctor get off by making us go through this sort of thing? Of course everyone in this room wanted to become Chunin, we all had our goals and dreams that we wanted to fulfill. Wasn't it the older shinobi's job to make sure we got that far? It was also up to us after the Academy, but there was just some things we couldn't do on our own. What the hell was this man thinking?

He laughed. "You're just unlucky. I make the rules this year. But I did give you the option to go back! For those of you who aren't confident enough, you may choose not to take it, and take the exam next year, or even the year after that, if you wish." He laughed again. He was truly enjoying this more than he should.

"Well then, let us begin!" He said, having finally sobered up. "The tenth question... for those who will not be taking it, raise your hands. Once your number is confirmed, you must leave the testing room at once!"

The man sitting beside Naruto stood, with his hand slightly raised. "I quit! I'm not going to take it."

"Number 50, please leave the room." One of the proctors announced. "Along with your teammates."

Just like last time, after one person was called out, it seemed that many more began to follow their lead. People raised their hands, and as their numbers were confirmed, they left, along with unhappy looking teammates. I could only imagine what that must have felt like. It was tempting to raise my hand and to quit, because if I were to get the answer to this question wrong, I would remain a Genin for life. What would all my efforts have counted for then? If I quit now, then maybe I could spare us from that fear. We could be ready next time around, I was sure of it. I could feel my hand beginning to move, seemingly of its own accord, but I knew it was me who moved it. Then I heard someone gasp, and I looked up to see Sakura, who was staring down in horror at Naruto, whose hand was raised fully in the air.

And then, all of the sudden, he slammed it against the desk and stood, looking positively livid. "Don't underestimate me! I won't run! I'll take it; even if I'm stuck being a Genin forever, I will still become the Hokage... no matter what it takes! I'm not scared!"

Ibiki wasn't phased. "I'll say it again; it's a choice that will alter your life. If you want to quit, do so now!"

"I'm not going to take back my words," Naruto smiled and tapped his headband. "That is my Way of Ninja."

Just glancing around the room, you could see the effects of Naruto's words. Everyone, even the most unexpected, like Shikamaru, looked more confident. They were all there to stay, now that Naruto had brought all of their courage out from seemingly nowhere. It had seemed as though everyone had been tempted to quit, and yet, with Naruto opening his big, fat mouth as usual, he had made everyone remember just why they were there in the first place. He had made me remember. I smiled and shook my head, leaning back in my seat. _That Naruto... he hadn't even intended to do this. He is one unpredictable kid._

"I like your determination!" Ibiki said suddenly. "Well then, for those of you that have chosen to stay; the first exam... you have passed it!"


	8. Seven

**Hey guys! I think that from this chapter on, there is going to be loads more interesting things that are going to happen. I have a lot of things in store for Mizuki and the others, and I think that you guys will really like it. I suppose, though, there is only one way for me to find out, and that's for you guys to tell me what you think!**

**But first, enjoy this chapter, because it took me FOREVER to write it just for y'all. **

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

The room was bound in silence. No knew what to do or say; even me. There was nothing to do or say. Ibiki Morino, despite everything he had put us through in the last hour, has passed us through the first part of the Chunin Exam. Naruto had passed, and it was mainly because of him that so many others had passed as well. Looking around, it was obvious that only about a handful had quit since Proctor Ibiki had announced the rules of the tenth question. Then something occurred to me. Had we even answered a tenth question?

Sakura stood, probably thinking about the same things I was. "Wait a minute, you're telling us we've passed, all of the sudden. What about the tenth question?"

Ibiki laughed and shook his head. "There was never such a thing as the tenth question! If you'd like, you can look at the choice you just had to make as the tenth question."

"Hey!" The woman from Suna shouted, obviously irritated. "Then what were the other nine questions for? It was just a waste of time!"

"Not a waste..." he smirked. "The objective of the nine questions had already been accomplished: to test your individual ability to gather information! First, the focus of this test was on the system of determining the pass or failure based on the three-person groups that was proposed in the first rule. By grading the exam on a group basis, I added the unimaginable pressure of dragging down your teammates. However... the questions on this test were not questions that mere Genin ninja like yourselves could answer. So... in that case... I figured that most of you would have come to this conclusion: 'In order to score points, I'll have to cheat.' In other words, this test was created under the premise that you would _all _cheat! With that being said, I had two Chunin in the group who knew all the answers, that way, you could cheat off of them."

I glanced down at the two ninja who were sitting back comfortably in their seats with huge smiles on their faces. They look positively pleased with themselves. One of the Chunin was sitting in front of the girl I had cheated off of. I smiled and rolled my eyes; now I knew where the answers had come from.

"However, those who just foolishly cheated, naturally were disqualified." Ibiki reached up and began to untie his forehead protector that had been extended into something that looked similar to a bandanna. He pulled it off his head, and it seemed as though everyone had pulled in a sharp breath and was holding it. What looked to be burn marks and long since healed punctures from what could have been nails, based on the size of the holes, were scattered across his head. It was the signs of physical torture, and was absolutely horrifying. "Information... depending on the time and situation... it will be more valuable than life. And in a mission, or even on the battlefield, you will always have to risk your life to fight for it!"

He began to put his headband back in place. "When information is gathered and the enemy or a third party finds out about it, that information is no longer guaranteed to be correct. Just remember this: to be given the wrong information can bring a catastrophic blow to your friends and town. So that is why, out of necessity, we forced you guys to cheat in order to test your ability to gather information, and we filtered out those who were clearly lacking in those abilities."

"But this question doesn't make any sense." I muttered, running my fingers through my hair. "What's the purpose?"

"The tenth question was the main issue of this first exam." He looked around at the confused stares he was getting. "Let me explain. The tenth question was to take on the question, or not. Needless to say, it was a painful decision to make. Those who chose not to take on the question would be immediately failed along with their whole squad. Those who chose to answer the question and got it wrong would be robbed of their chance to take the Chunin Exams ever again. It really is an unfair question. Well then, how about these two choices? Let's say for instance you guys really did become Chunin. The mission is to steal a secret document, and you have no idea how many ninja the enemy has, nor do you know their ability or other armament they may have. On top of that, the enemy may have set up a trap for you. Now this mission... will you take it, or no? Because you want your life spared, because your partners will be put in danger... can you get away from dangerous missions? The answer is... never."

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. He was right; there were going to be missions that, regardless of if we wanted to do them or not, they had to be done. Our precious comrades could be put in danger, our own life could be endangered, and yet, did a shinobi really have a choice in the matter? If the mission was to steal a secret document that would become the reason my home was to fall or thrive, I would take the mission and do whatever I can to the best of my ability. If it meant I could save my friends and family, then wasn't that the most important part of accepting or declining a mission?

"... showing your courage to your teammates in a tight spot, and the ability to get through hardships... this is the quality that is needed in a Chunin troop leader! In a pinch, there are those who cannot risk their own fate, and those who waver and give up their chances because they think they will have another chance. I believe that such fools who don't have strong determination have no right to become a Chunin! For those of you who chose to take on the question, you can honestly say that you have successfully answered the difficult tenth question! You shall be able to take on the adversity that may lie in your way. You've passed through the gates! The first test of the Chunin Exam has been completed. I wish you well!"

Just moments after Ibiki had finished with his long and tedious speech, something hurtled through the window, spraying shards of glass in every direction. However, the proctor for the first test remained perfectly calm. Whoever had thrown themselves in through the window had flung kunai at the ceiling, allowing a dark brown curtain to fall behind her, completely obscuring Ibiki Morino.

"Hey!" She shouted. "This isn't the time to be celebrating! I am the proctor for the second test of the Chunin Exam, Anko Mitarashi! Let's move into the next stage!"

"Hey, Anko, read the atmosphere." Ibiki peered behind the curtain, glancing at our new proctor. I rolled my eyes and stretched; my headache had finally gone away.

"Ibiki, there's seventy-eight people left? You let twenty-six teams slide by you? I guess the exam this time around was far too easy." She exclaimed. Ibiki shrugged with a small smile on his scarred face.

"It seems like this time there are a lot of excellent candidates." He countered.

"Huh, well alright. It doesn't matter. I'll drop half of them in the second test!" She smiled. "I'm getting excited... I'll give you the details tomorrow. We'll be changing locations, so get the information from your Jonin about the location and the time! That's it. You're dismissed!"

* * *

"What is this place?"

The remaining test-takers were gathered in front of what looked to be a forest, surrounded by an eight foot tall gate. The trees were miles high, and it was almost impossible to see more than ten feet into the forest. Each entry point was chained and locked as securely as a prison cell in a top security facility would be. It was very intimidating, and even Naruto, who barely gave a second thought to dangerous situations, looked shaken by the sight. Proctor Anko stood a few paces in front of the crowd with a smirk on her young, smooth face. She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips.

"This is the location for the second test of this exam; the Forty-fourth Training Field, also known as the Forest of Death."

A cool breeze made me shiver. Sakura and I had figured that the Chunin Exams would be difficult, but we hadn't thought that each test would seem more difficult than the next. The first test had seemed absolutely impossible. I could only imagine what this next test would be like. Logically, one could think that they, being the proctors, were testing everyone about how well they could act under pressure. This would be the first test. Next, one could logically propose the idea that the next problem would be survival or strength. A Chunin needed to smart; they needed to be able to think ahead of their enemies and choose the best route to success. They also needed to have exceptional survival skills and considerable strength. It could logically be inferred that this next test, the second part of the Chunin Exams, was to test our survival skills.

"I'm sure you will all soon figure out why it's called the Forest of Death." Anko laughed. "You're all smart kids."

Naruto puffed out his chest. "'The Forest of Death... blah, blah, blah. You'll soon realize why... blah, blah, blah. You'll not scare me one bit!"

"Oh really..." Anko mused. "You've got a lot of energy."

Before anyone could blink, Anko was flinging a kunai towards Naruto. It just barely grazed his cheek and hit the ground. Anko disappeared and reappeared right behind Naruto, her hands still poised to attack. She leaned close to Naruto, her lips almost close enough to brush against his ear. I could see him shaking, not only from the suddenness of the attack, but from the proximity of her body. Even though she was so close to him, she spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"A kid like you dies at the very beginning..." she murmured, her voice dangerously low. She had gone from a cheerful, energy-filled proctor, to a meticulously trained Jonin, capable of taking down a mere Genin like Naruto in less time than it would take someone to blink thrice. She reached up and grabbed his cheek, turning his head to face him. Naruto looked terrified. Once more, a kunai slid down into her hand, and she turned as though to strike, but stopped when a woman handed her her lost kunai. I shuddered when I realized it wasn't her hand she was holding the weapon with, but her tongue.

"I'm returning your kunai knife." She said.

"Thank you for your trouble," Anko said with a smile, though she didn't look grateful. "But don't you stand behind me, thirsting for blood the way you are. If you don't want a quick death, I suggest you get back.

"Well, it is in my nature to act up at the sight of blood..." she said in a voice than made my own blood run cold. "And my precious hair was cut, so naturally, I got excited... my apologies."

"Evidently, we've got a lot of hot-blooded kids this time around; this should be fun. However, before we get to the fun part, we need to get past the boring part. This is a consent form," she held out a large stack of papers that were covered from top to bottom in writing. "Before you can take part in this test, you must sign this form."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because from this point on, there will be corpses. I have to get your consent to that... or else it will be _my _responsibility!" She laughed as though what she had said was an inside joke that only she was privy to. "Well, I suppose now would be a good time to begin the explanation of the second test. In a few words, the limits of your survival abilities will be challenged. First, I'll give you step-by-step instructions on the terrain of this training field. Practice Area forty-four is surrounded forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers, a forest, and a tower directly in the center. It's roughly about ten kilometers from the entrance gates to the tower, all the way around. In this confined area, you will go through a certain survival program. The contents of which is an anything-goes scroll battle! I want you to fight for two scrolls: the Heaven scroll and the Earth scroll."

A ninja I didn't know handed me the stack of consent forms, so I took one and passed it to the next person beside me. The form itself was pretty straightforward. It gave a listing of everything that you needed to be okay with, and each possible scenario of being locked in the Forest of Death. It told us that, in the event of our survival skills not being good enough, there was a high chance of us not succeeding in living to the end of this next test. At the bottom, there was a line where would sign our names if we agreed to the terms and understood what this test entitled. I looked around; other test-takers had decided to disperse to think about whether or not they wanted to continue, while still listening to Proctor Anko speak. It was something difficult to choose. It had a very similar feel to it, just like the first test. It was a choice between life or death. There were some people who just couldn't handle that.

"All together, twenty-six teams got through the first test..." she continued. "However, I can guarantee that half of you will not make in through the second part of this exam. Thirteen team will get the Heaven scroll, and thirteen teams will get the Earth scroll. I will hand over one scroll to each team. To put it simply, that's what your aiming for."

"And what about the conditions to pass?" Sasuke asked. I turned and looked at him. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his consent form was clenched in his left hand. A slight breeze made the paper flutter, and revealed that Sasuke had long since signed his name. I had already known that Sasuke was going to sign in; everyone here probably was, because they had gotten through the first test, and they were determined to see this one to the end as well.

"Your entire team must bring both the Heaven and the Earth scrolls to the tower. Furthermore, it has to be on time. The time limit of this second test is one hundred and twenty hours. You must have both the scrolls and you must be inside the tower in five days time."

"Hey, hey, what do we do about food?" Choji exclaimed.

"Be self-sufficient!" She snapped. "The forest is full of things you can eat, though you'll need to be careful. Some of those delicious looking things can be rather deadly. There is also the possibility of becoming the meal while you're looking for your own. There are many man-eating creatures inside this forest. I suggest you watch each others backs. Now, moving on, for the conditions of disqualification: if one, all team members are unable to continue to the tower with the Heaven and Earth scrolls within the time limit. Two, if a team loses a member, or a member of the team becomes incapacitated. Those two rules, and also this little side note: do _not _look at the contents of the scrolls until you have reached the tower!"

"W-what happens if we look at it half-way through?" Naruto stammered.

She grinned. "When you look at it you'll... find... out! There may come a time when a Chunin must deal with super-secret missives. This is to test reliability. That's it for the instructions. Exchange your consent forms for the scrolls in that hut over there. After that, pick your entrance and the gates will open simultaneously when everyone is positioned."

She heaved a heavy sigh. "Finally, just a word of advice... don't die!"

I turned and walked towards Sasuke, where Sakura and Naruto had already convened. They were talking quietly to themselves, with Naruto gesturing with his hands, Sasuke with his hands in his pockets and looking irritated, and Sakura with her arms crossed loosely across her chest. They looked up as I crouched down between my adopted sister and Naruto.

"Who gets the scroll?" I asked quietly.

"The least expected person, is what I was thinking." Sakura said. "No one would suspect that Naruto had the scroll. Also, I suggested that you could keep it. With your hair down, no one can see that you have another hearing aid. Everyone had turned to look at Ibiki yesterday when you were putting in the other one. And if they weren't looking at him, they were looking at the Sound ninja. If people think your completely deaf now, they would think that you couldn't keep the scroll."

I nodded. "But what if someone expects that I would have it, because I seem like the weakest link?"

"We could fake it," Sasuke said, "we could make it seem as though we're trying to protect one person. That will be Naruto."

"No, that won't work. " I said, shaking my head. "There are some cunning shinobi in this group; they'll see right through that. Let Naruto carry the scroll, and I'll be the one you're pretending to keep protected. I'll make it seem as though I have the scroll, and even act as the one to keep the enemy away. I can lure them away and you guys can run. I'll be able to find you, because I have Byakugan."

"I like that!" Naruto nodded.

"You only like that because you'll be the one carrying the scroll." Sakura hissed. "While it does sound like a good plan, Mizuki, I don't like it. You'll be in danger, and I can't just sit by and let you do something like that."

"I agree." Sasuke said. "But we do need a plan, and we won't be able to make one once we're in the forest. Even now, we could have someone listening in on our conversation."

"The scroll exchange will begin soon!" Announced a proctor, hidden behind a burgundy curtain, from under the hut.

"Look, I know it sounds dangerous, but it will work. We'll give it a try, and if gets to be too much, we'll stop." I pulled out a scroll from my rear pouch, and looking around to make sure no one was watching, transformed it into the Heaven scroll that I had seen earlier during Proctor Anko's speech. "This will be our decoy, and this is the one I will be carrying. It doesn't matter which one we get at that hut, but I will be the one to carry the fake, pretending it's the real one. Naruto, you cannot act suspicious. To make this work, I want you walking behind me. Sakura, I want you to my left, because I'm left-handed and that is my strongest side, and Sasuke, you to my right, because that is my weakest side."

"Why do I have to stand behind you? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

I shook my head. "No, because if someone attacks, I'll need to be able to run at a moments notice. Naruto, I'll give you a signal. My Byakugan will be activated the entire time we're looking for the mate to our scroll, therefore I'll be able to see everything at any time. When I give you the signal, we're about to be attacked, and I want you to shout and tell me to hide. This will make the enemy send someone after me, maybe more than one person. You three will stay behind and fight as though you want to keep them from getting to me, and you need to be convincing. Sasuke, if you feel like things are beginning to look bad and they've caught on, tell Sakura to find me. Once Sakura is out of sight, you and Naruto need to run. We'll centralize in one area. Once we're in the forest, we'll figure out a rendezvous point."

Sasuke nodded. "It's sounds like a plan. Is everyone clear on this?"

Sakura nodded, though she didn't look happy. Naruto nodded with a serious expression, already seeming as though he was playing his part. I slipped the scroll into my rear pouch and we stood, heading towards the exchange hut. We stepped through the curtain, and Naruto handed the proctors our consent forms and took the Heaven scroll they handed to him. I smiled to myself as Naruto slipped the scroll into his rear pouch and we stepped out from the hut as the next team moved in. We got the exact same scroll as the one we had used for a decoy; it seemed as though a much higher power wanted my plan to work. However, it still wasn't going to be guaranteed that it would. We would only know once we got our hands on the real Earth scroll and made our way towards the tower with no major mishaps.

"Listen," I whispered once we were positioned in front of Gate Twelve. "When we get our sister scroll, I will make another decoy. Sasuke, you will carry that one, along with mine. The strongest of the group will be the most expected to carry both of the scrolls as our time limit decreases. This plan will only work as well as we can work together. There can be no slip-ups. One wrong move, and we'll be figured out. Understood?"

"Got it!" Naruto grinned. I glanced at Sakura. She nodded silently, as did Sasuke. I sighed in relief and turned back to face the forest. We were thirty seconds away from being released into an unknown territory, and into a situation that had no guaranteed outcomes. Someone would die; there was no doubt about that. There were relentless shinobi in our group, who would stop at nothing to get to the finish line. We would stop at nothing; if it came to the choice between the life or death of my comrades, I would choose life, and fight to the death to protect them. This was my way of compensating for the fact that I would always drag them down. I was handicapped, and there was nothing I could do about it except give them something to work with that would allow them to move forward while I was forever stuck. I could only hope that I had been careful enough in telling them my plan; if anyone had overheard us then it wouldn't matter what we did.

"We now start the second test of the Chunin Exam!"

The gates burst open, and the scattered ninja immediately ran into the forest. I nodded to Naruto and he fell into position behind me, and Sakura and Sasuke moved to their respective positions on my left and my right. _This plan will only work as well as we can work together. _I nodded again and we ran forward. I looked around immediately, searching the surrounding area for possible rendezvous points and enemies lurking about. It hadn't been more than fifteen minutes before I heard it. _  
_

"Stop! Stop! Listen!"

Our team froze, positioned to fight at any moment. Screams echoed all around us, mingling with the sounds of the cries of distressed birds as they flew away from the sounds of humans. I sighed and turned to face my teammates. They were still looking around, obviously distressed at having heard a scream so soon into the test. It was unnerving, but we couldn't lose our focus.

"I'm getting kind of nervous..." Sakura muttered.

"Don't worry about it, Sakura," Naruto chuckled in a trembling voice. "It was nothing. Believe it! Uh, I have to pee!"

He turned and ran towards the tree. Sakura flipped out and ran towards him, knocking him on the head. "You idiot! What are you doing, in front of two girls, huh! Go do that in the shrubbery!"

Before she could hit him again, he scrambled away into the shrubbery behind the trees. I turned on my heel, shaking my head as I sat down and leaned against a tree. Sasuke remained standing, and Sakura stood nearby where Naruto had disappeared, probably prepared to smack him again if he tried to do anything "improper" again. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if he had done that in front me, because all I would have had to do was turn and look somewhere else. It wasn't that big a deal, but while I didn't have a mind for manners, Sakura sure did. Over the years I had learned to tune her out and ignore her when she tried to tell me to sit straight or sit like a lady or not burp in public. I was just more carefree, simply because I hadn't had to worry about appearances for a majority of my life.

"Ah, that's better! I feel refreshed!" Naruto exclaimed, hiking up his pants as he appeared from behind the trees. Sakura went berserk again, once more ranting and raving about how impolite Naruto was being. I was about to stand and stop Sakura from verbally abusing Naruto, when suddenly Sasuke lashed out with his foot and hit Naruto in his jaw, kicking him a considerable height into the air before he fell and hit the ground with a very painful sounding _thud__. _

_"_Sasuke! You didn't have to go that far-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her statement before Sasuke had begun to attack Naruto again. I leaped to my feet, waiting for an opening to stop them, but one didn't come. There was something wrong here; Sasuke wouldn't just be attacking Naruto for no reason. I decided to look more closely at my comrade, and then I realized what was wrong. Before the test had begun, there had been a gash on the side of Naruto's cheek, which had been from Anko's kunai just barely grazing him. However, on this Naruto, there was no scratch on his cheek.

"Please, Sasuke, stop!"

"Sakura, look closely at him!" Sasuke said, then turned back to the impostor. "You're a fake. Where is the real Naruto?"

"W-what are you talking about? Sasuke, it's me!"

He rolled his eyes. "You're more stupid than the real Naruto. Where's the scratch mark you got from the proctor earlier? And why is your shuriken holster on your left leg? Naruto is right-handed, you fool!"

"He's about as bad as Naruto is at transformation." I muttered, walking up beside Sasuke with my kunai in my left hand. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stick to the plan." He whispered. He nodded and I knew then what he was planning to do. We turned back to a whole new person. This shinobi had a headband that showed that he was from the village Hidden in the Rain. He had some sort of mask that covered just his mouth, and some sort of bandage around his eyes, with holes cut out so he could see. He looked freakish, in my opinion.

"Well, unlucky for me. Which one of you has the scroll?"

_Lucky for me__, _I thought to myself. This man hadn't realized that Naruto was the one with the real scroll. I took a step back, making it seem as though I was about to make a run for it and lowered my left hand, shifting my body slightly to side. Immediately he caught on and made a move towards me, but Sasuke cut him off, flinging his hand holding his kunai up, forcing the Hidden Rain shinobi to protect himself.

"Run, Mizuki, and go hide! We'll find you when we're done here!" Sasuke shouted, doing exactly as I had told him to.

"Right!" I turned and ran for the cover of the tress, leaping up in the foliage and jumping from branch to branch as fast as I possibly could. I feinted to the right and made a roundabout route back towards the battle. I climbed higher so I wouldn't be detected and watched as Sasuke and the creepy man from the Hidden Rain village fight. It had seemingly gone just as I had hoped. He thought I was the one with the scroll, mainly because of the way I had begun to make it look like I was going to run. As I let my eyes roam around the small area Sasuke and his opponent were fighting it, with my Byakugan activated, I could see that Naruto was tied up and hidden in the cover of a bunch of trees closely huddled in a circle. He was too far for me to logically reach him without being caught by our enemy, which would defeat the purpose of my plan.

"Come on, Sasuke!" I whispered. "Hurry up and beat him."

Their battle suddenly took a different course and forced them towards Naruto's location. Noticing his tied up comrade, Sasuke flung his kunai towards him, slicing the ropes around Naruto without actually hurting him. He untied himself and disappeared, probably waiting for his chance to attack. The Hidden Rain shinobi grabbed Sasuke from behind, realizing it was his chance to strike down his strongest opponent while he was distracted. Naruto made his move then, and flung his own kunai down towards Sasuke. The enemy shinobi moved out of the way and jumped towards Naruto. Sasuke turned and, using his chakra to attach his kunai knife to his foot, spun and made the weapon fly up towards the man now attacking Naruto. He dodged it and looked down, realizing too late that it had been a move to distract him. Sasuke dug his kunai into the enemy's chest, making him cry out in pain.

"Alright, Sasuke!"

"Sakura, don't just stand there! We don't know if he's alone!" He shouted. When his attention had been directed towards Sakura, the Hidden Rain shinobi twisted away from Sasuke and began to retreat. When he was gone, I leaped down from the cover of the trees and settled myself on the last branch. Sakura looked up, clearly relieved I was okay, and not the enemy. Sasuke, however, was not convinced. He gestured for me to stand in front of him. I leaped down and walked towards him, stopping exactly two feet away. It was too close for my liking, but he wouldn't let me back away. Sasuke reached for my head, sliding his fingers through my hair and towards my ear. He took the hearing aid and pulled it out of my ear, but didn't remove his hand, keeping it hidden beneath my hair. His mouth moved as though he were speaking but I didn't hear anything. It was obvious that he was using this as a way to make sure it was me and not a fake. If I were a fake, I could hear what he was saying. I nodded and smiled, reaching up and taking the hearing aid from him and put it back in my ear. He retracted his hand, probably a lot slower than anyone else would have, and took half a step away from me. He nodded his approval. Sakura sighed in relief and Naruto shook his head, looking as confused as ever.

"If there is ever a moment that we become separated," Sasuke began, "don't trust him if he looks like your teammate. Right now, there is the possibility that an enemy will transform to get close to us."

"What do you propose we do, Sasuke?" I asked, turning and taking a seat on the ground, leaning against the nearest tree. The others followed my lead and formed small circle.

"We'll decided on a password." He said. Naruto didn't look too happy. "Listen, if the password is incorrect, not matter what he looks like, presume he is the enemy. I'll only say this once, so listen closely. You ask, Ninja Song, 'Ninja Chance.' And the reply is this: 'It is the chance to sneak up where a large number of enemies is making a scene. The quiet place has no secret hideout. It is important for a shinobi to know the right time... the time when an enemy is tired and drops his guard.' That's it."

"That's good," I nodded. "No problem. What about Naruto?"

"Yeah, what about Naruto?" Naruto exclaimed. "I can't remember that! Do you think you could say it again... just one more time?"

"I told you I'd only say it once." Sasuke sighed.

"Why can't you memorize it?" Sakura said, her voice sounding almost taunting. "You idiot! I memorized it right away!"

I glanced at Sasuke and poked his knee. He looked at me, and I tapped the ground. He nodded and turned back to Sakura and Naruto, trying to calm the former and quiet the latter. Good, so we were both on the same page. I figured that Sasuke had long since figured out that we had an extra listening in on our conversation, because Sasuke figured things out and realized things a lot faster than any one of us in Team Seven.

"I'll carry the scroll." Sasuke said suddenly, pushing himself off the ground into a standing position. "Hand it over, Naruto."

"Sasuke, what are doing?" I hissed, looking around us.

Before he could respond, Naruto yelped in surprise. Blood began dripping down his other cheek. We all glanced in the direction that he was looking in, but there was nothing there. If it was close enough to attack, then surely I would have been able to see it. Sasuke looked at me, but I shook my head. I couldn't see further than seventy meters, so that was probably why I couldn't see whoever it was. And then, all of the sudden, a great wind came blasting down from the dark tunnel-like path. It blew us all in different directions. Pain exploded through my body, particularly in my shoulder. I had never broken a bone, but I supposed this is what it felt like. I hadn't eaten much this morning, but I felt sick right then.

"Mizuki, are you alright?" Sakura ran up to me and lifted me from the ground, supporting my weight as best she could without making us both fall over. Sasuke ran over to us, but then stopped. His eyes looked me over from head to toe. Sakura shifted and I cried out; she had moved my right shoulder, causing a wave of white hot agony to blaze forth and fester. Her eyes widened and she put me back onto the floor, gingerly pushing my sleeve up to examine my shoulder. Her hands gently probed along the area it hurt most and she grimaced.

"My mom sometimes falls and she dislocates her shoulder a lot. You must have hit the tree pretty hard, Mizuki. This is going to hurt a lot worse. Sasuke, do you have something she can bite?" Sakura said.

Sasuke sifted through his rear pouch and pulled out a rolled of gauze. Sakura unrolled some of it and then rolled it into a little ball. I took it and bit down on it hard, squeezing my eyes shut. She took my arm and braced her feet against my body. She counted down from five, and before I knew it, she was tugging as hard as she could. With an audible, and quite sickening, _crack _I felt my shoulder snap back into place. My scream was muffled against the gauze I was furiously biting into. The pain was crazy.

"Sakura, what are you doing to Mizuki? Is she alright?" Naruto asked, coming out nowhere, just like last night. My body went limp, relaxing now that the worst of the pain had subsided, and the gauze rolled out of my mouth.

"Ninja song, 'Ninja Chance,' Naruto..." I said quietly. "Help me sit up, Sakura."

Naruto began to recite the password. "It is the chance to sneak up where a large number of enemies is making a scene. The quiet place has no secret hideout. It is important for a shinobi to know the right time... the time when an enemy is tired and drops his guard."

"Wrong..." I whispered. "Naruto would never remember the entire thing."

Sasuke attacked, flinging a kunai in the impostors direction. Why was Naruto always the one who was captured and used as a way to get closer to the group. If someone did something wrong, it was so much more obvious when they used Naruto. Everything Naruto did was nearly impossible to replicate. He was purely his own person, and copying him was the hardest thing one could try to do. I don't even know why they tried; I certainly wouldn't. I braced myself against the tree and slid up into a standing position. My nausea had all but disappeared, and my shoulder was throbbing quite as bad anymore.

"The way you dodge my attacks isn't like Naruto at all! Where is he?" Sasuke snapped.

"I suppose it can't helped." The impostor exploded into a puff of smoke, and returned in her true form. It was that same, hot-blooded, serpentine woman from before the exam had begun. "Why did you put such a long password in place, then if you knew Naruto was just going to forget it?"

"I knew that you were underground eavesdropping on our conversation." Sasuke said, looking very confident in himself. "So I chose that password on purpose."

She removed her hat, and held it close to her left side of mouth. She smiled. "Oh really? So you're not getting tired or letting your guard down? This will be much more fun than I was expecting it to be." Her tongue slid out from between her lips and slid along the edge of her hat in a taunting manner. This woman was too creepy, and I didn't like it one bit. I didn't like our situation. This was going to get bad; I just had this feeling in my gut that told me we needed to run, and we needed to do it now. Even if we couldn't get away, we needed to run as hard and as fast as we possibly could. This was no normal woman we were about to engage.

She began to reach behind her and I tensed, dropping my hand just above my shuriken holster. The woman pulled out an Earth scroll from her rear pouch and held it up with a wicked smile. "Is this what you kids you want from me? Well, you're just going to have to come and take it by force. Let's see what you little ones can do."

She opened her mouth and began to shove the scroll down her throat, her tongue twisting around the scroll. I shuddered and pulled a kunai out of the holster and held it at the ready. I had no idea what she was going to do, and how she was planning to do it. This was a game to her, it seemed. I figured she had no true desire to become a Chunin, but if that was the case, then why was she here. I was getting scared. Once the scroll had been eaten, she smiled and licked her lips.

"Now, let's begin the battle for the scrolls..." her hand slid up her face towards her eye, and she pulled down her bottom eyelid. "Life or death!"


	9. Eight

Her eyes were black and fathomless. There was nothing there to look at, and the only thing that was obvious about this woman was her thirst for blood. It was so powerful that it blanketed the three of us in immobilizing fear. All I could think about were the ways in which she could kill us, and just how simple it would be for her. It was like she was a snake, stalking her prey, making them sense her presence and try and figure out the best possible escape route, before it became obvious that there was no chance for escape. She could smell the fear, and it was making her expressionless eyes look as though they were filled with joy now. There was no desire to keep her scroll, and there was no desire to steal ours; however, she had a motive. It didn't matter what it was now, though. We were going to die.

Sakura was crying and shaking so hard it was a wonder she could sit upright. Her eyes were as wide as they could get, probably wider, and there was no doubt where her mind had taken her. Sasuke, on the other side of me, was recovering from his sudden uncontrollable bout of nausea. He was afraid, just like me, and just like Sakura. Even Sasuke could be touched by fear. He was warring with himself, though, and that much was obvious. His hand was twitching towards his shuriken holster, and his expression was one of desperation. He was fighting desperately to move, and it suddenly hit me just how much I needed to do the same. There was no way I could just sit there while Sasuke did all the work. Sakura couldn't move, and she had no hope of moving, even if she could see Sasuke trying to overcome this overwhelming fear. Naruto was gone, and there was little chance of him being alive. If this woman was strong enough to immobilize us with her blood lust, surely her comrades were the same. Naruto, being who he was, had no chance.

"Sas-uke," I gasped, falling forward onto my hands. "We need... to move."

The woman laughed. It was a laugh that made my blood run cold and made the little hairs on my arms stand on end. She began to walk forward with three kunai in her left hand. When she reached me, she grabbed my chin and roughly pulled me off the ground, holding me in the air. My hands reached up to grab her forearm so I could keep myself raised to a point where I could breathe.

"You're patronizing the poor kid," she murmured, shaking me a little. "Why don't you just leave him alone and see what he can do? You'll all die before it gets to that point anyway. I guess it doesn't matter. I wish you would've entertained me a little bit more. It wasn't as fun as I was expecting it to be."

She tossed me aside. I hit the ground and rolled a little, but I still couldn't move. I glanced over at Sasuke. He was standing now, with his kunai positioned just above his thigh. That was as far as he could move, and he was still trying, still twitching forward as much as he possibly could. His eyes were wider, and he lips were moving, just barely being able to mouth out something he was chanting to himself. I needed to help him. We were going to die; he was in no state to fight this woman. We were going to die if we didn't do something.

"I guess this game is over." She sighed. Sasuke raised his hand as she flung her kunai. What was he planning on doing? There was no way he could hit her, while she was fully capable of movement, and he could barely raise his arm. He slammed his kunai down into his thigh, jolting his body into action. His Sharingan appeared and darted towards Sakura and I, grabbing us up and fleeing just as the kunai the woman had thrown was about to hit us. He ran as far as he could and then collapsed onto a thick branch. His arms gave out and Sakura and I tumbled onto the branch. It was painful, but bearable. I sat up, holding my shoulder as though it might slide out of place at any moment. My heart was still pounding uncontrollably. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins.

"Sasuke-!"

Sasuke clapped his hand down on Sakura's mouth, forcing her to be quiet as he turned his head to listen. He was shaken; it was obvious. Sasuke was afraid, and it scared me. Had there ever been a time when Sasuke was like this? I couldn't think of one; not even when we had gone on one of our very first higher rank missions and ended up fighting Zabuza and Haku. Even then, though he was obviously aware of the fact that we might have lost, he wasn't as pale as he was now. He wasn't as shaken and scared as he was now. _Sasuke... pull yourself together. _

"Sasuke! Look out!"

Just as a giant snake shot forward and bit down on the branch Sasuke had chosen for a temporary hideout, we had leaped out of the way and scattered onto separate branches. The snake continued after Sasuke, however. He reached into his shuriken holster and flung four shuriken at the monster, looking absolutely frantic. He landed on a branch a couple hundred feet away from Sakura and I. The snake screamed in protest and fell, limp bodied, against a tree. It's head slammed against the base, and blood began to ooze from its wounds and drip down the tree.

"Don't lower your guard... not even for a moment..." The snake to break apart at where its head ended and it's body began, and the woman began to emerge. "A prey must always stay tense and flee desperately before a predator!"

She laughed and her tongue lolled out of her mouth and flicked in a serpentine manner. She sat there for a moment with her eyes moving from the three of us, debating on who she wanted to devour first. I could see it; the hunger, the blood lust. She wanted us alive, screaming for mercy, as she killed us. She wanted to hear our screams die into quite pleas for help. She wanted to watch the life drain from our eyes. Then she made her decision; it was plain to see. She darted forward, her body extending and stretching as though she herself was a snake. But before she could reach Sasuke, a kunai knife and four shuriken landed just above her head. She froze and looked up at her assailant.

"Sorry, Sasuke."

About a hundred more feet from Sasuke, stood Naruto. He was beaten and bruised from some other battle he had fought while we were dealing with this woman, but he was alive and here to help us. Relief flooded through me. If Naruto and Sasuke worked together, they could beat this woman, and if they needed help along the way, Sakura and I would be there to back them up.

"I forgot the password!" He shouted with his arms crossed over his chest. I'll admit, he had poor timing, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was alive.

"Naruto, I know you're just trying to be cool and rescue us, but don't stick your nose in this! Get away! Escape!" Sasuke shouted, forgetting about the snake woman momentarily to advise his comrade. "This thing... she's on a far different level from us!"

"It seems as though you brought down that giant snake brilliantly, Naruto." The woman said snidely.

"Hey, hey, it's seems like you've been bullying the weak, here, lady! But now that I, Naruto Uzumaki is here, I'm going to wipe the floor with you!"

"Wait!" Sasuke shouted. He reached into his rear pouch and pulled out the scroll he had snatched from Naruto before we had all been blasted in different directions. He held it out and tossed from hand to hand. "If it's the scroll you want, take it! I'll give it up without a fight!"

Naruto gasped. "Sasuke, what are you doing, giving our scroll to the enemy! What're you thinking?"

"Shut up, stupid!"

"What?"

"I see... you're very sensible." The woman pushed herself up from the tree. Her legs unwound themselves, sliding around the branch until they were at their normal length and she was standing upright. "The only thing the prey can hope for from the predator is presenting other food and praying you would spared, isn't that right?"

"Take it!" Sasuke tossed the scroll towards the woman. She reached for it, but it never landed in her outstretched hand. Naruto had lunged forward and grabbed it. He walked towards Sasuke and, before the latter could say a word, slammed his fist into his cheek. Sasuke went flying, with blood spewing from his mouth as he went. Naruto looked positively furious.

"What are you doing, all of the sudden?" Sasuke shouted.

"As for me, I don't remember the password... so I got no way to make sure. But you, you aren't the real Sasuke are you? You're an impostor!"

"You loser, I'm the real me!"

"Liar! This stupid coward I see here is absolutely not the Sasuke I know! I don't know how strong this woman is, but how can you be sure she'll let us go if we were to hand over the scroll, huh? You're the one who choked and doesn't understand the situation!"

The woman laughed and pushed up her sleeve. "Naruto, you're correct," she bit her finger and smeared a line of blood down her arm across the black tattoos that were there. "I could just kill you and take the scroll. Summoning Jutsu!"

Naruto lunged forward with his kunai knife in his hand, but the sudden wind created from the woman's summoning jutsu forced him away. He went flying in the opposite direction, all the while with Sasuke screaming at him to forget about this fight and run. I agreed with Sasuke, but we couldn't run forever. She would find us, no matter where we tried to hide. That much was obvious. With the summoning jutsu, a snake appeared beneath her, and it lunged forward, slamming it's head down towards Naruto before he could get out of the way.

"Naruto!" I leaped forward and grabbed him, pushing him out of the way of the snake. We landed on a tree branch and looked up at the woman, who was smirking.

"What cute prey..." she murmured. The snakes tail slammed down on our branch before we could move and we fell, breaking the branch after branch, finally hitting one strong enough to hold the both of us up. Upon impact, I screamed as another wave of fire went through my ankle this time. This woman was just not going to take it easy on us. There was no doubt about it now; she had even told us so. We were going to die if something to change in our favor, and change fast! My body slid off the branch and I went tumbling down towards the snake, who was opening its mouth, ready to swallow me whole.

"Mizuki!" Naruto grabbed me this time and hauled me back to a higher point in the tree. He turned and lunged for the woman. There was something different about him this time though. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it seemed as though he had lost control. He began beating the snake with a strength I hadn't known he had possessed. The woman, appearing surprised for the first time since our battle had begun, blew fire in Naruto direction, sending him back towards the ground that was miles below us. He hit another branch and coughed up blood. There was no way he could get back.

"Who's next? Sasuke?" The snake woman turned towards him and lunged forward. He was frozen and unable to move. The fear that had gripped him earlier had returned. If someone didn't do something, if he didn't do something, the snake would devour him. He would have no hope once he was inside that snake. If Sasuke got eaten, it was only fact that we were going to be done for. I believed in Naruto, but willpower only went so far against true power. None of us were capable.

The snake opened its mouth, preparing to eat his prey, but didn't get further than the edge of the branch when Naruto soared in and stabbed it on either side of its mouth with his kunai knives. He was doubled over and breathing heavily, and blood was smeared across his hands and jumpsuit. It was probably a mixture of his own and the snakes blood. His body shuddered and he glanced up at Sasuke.

"Hey, are you hurt? Scaredy-cat?"

Sasuke stumbled back a half-step, staring at Naruto as though he had grown two heads. I wanted to see what was going on, or what Sasuke was staring at or seeing in Naruto, but I just had to settle with listening. I could hear them just barely if I turned the volume on my hearing aid all the way up. I could hear them like they were whispering, so I had to focus solely on them.

"This coward is absolutely not the Sasuke I know!" Naruto growled, his voice low and raspy. If Sasuke was going to respond, he didn't get the chance to. The woman's tongue slithered down towards Naruto and began to wrap around him. Was she going to eat him? No... that couldn't be possible. Not while she was in human form. She lifted him into the air and brought Naruto close to her. She observed him, her eyes boring into his. He twisted and writhed, screaming for her to let him go. But she didn't. Finally, she formed a hand seal and what looked like small little purple flames appeared on each of her fingers.

"Naruto! Sasuke, you have to help him!" Sakura screamed.

I watched in horror as the snake woman lifted Naruto's shirt and planted her fingers against his stomach. Naruto screamed in pain, his whole body tensing as what jutsu she had performed worked over him. Then, abruptly, he passed out, his entire body going limp. She flung him to the side, and his body went flying. He was going to fall to his death. Sasuke was glued where he stood, unable to move. Sakura was screaming for Sasuke to help, but when she realized he wasn't going to do anything, she reached for her shuriken holster and pulled out a kunai. She flung it towards Naruto, and pinned him to a tree before he could fall to the ground waiting many miles below us. Ignoring the pain in my ankle, I stood, using the trunk of the tree to hold me up. I moved my foot in circles for a few seconds, adjusting to the pain and trying to see just how I could move my foot without causing it to hurt any worse. When I had gauged my pain tolerance level, I lunged forward, my kunai knife ready in my left hand. The woman turned towards me, not in the slightest amused.

"Mizuki!" Sakura cried. "Stop!"

It was too late. Before I could strike her, the woman ducked down and grabbed me from behind as I fell. Her tongue twisted around my waist and pinned my arms to my side. I didn't struggle or try to get away from her. I looked into her eyes and steeled myself from the worst. Maybe if I could delay her, Sasuke and Sakura would realize what I wanted to do and run away as fast as they could. They could take Naruto, who still had a chance at survival, and flee. They could leave me behind and call for help. This woman had no interest in these exams. She was hungry for blood. She loved the smell of fear, but I refused to give her the satisfaction.

"It's been a while, Mizuki Hyuga." The woman murmured. Her hand traced my face from my jaw to my temple. She pushed my hair back away from my face. I bit my tongue to keep myself from spitting at her. "I think it's about time that I break the promise I made with your mother."

She pressed her fingers against my temple, pushing against my skull so hard I thought she was trying to literally get inside my head. An intense pain surged from my temple and extended down to my toes. It was burning, it was freezing, it was not something that could be easily explained. I could feel an intense ache beginning at the back of my head and working it's way to the front. It was similar to my headache back in the first test of the Chunin Exams, but I would times that by a hundred, and that is what this felt like. I could feel the darkness swirling up to greet me as it once had, what seemed like forever ago. The abyss embraced me and took me down to place I had never been.

It was dark, and then everything around me exploded.


	10. Nine

**Hey guys! So, another chapter for _Actions Speak Louder than Words_! I'm excited; are you? So for those of you who believed she was dead, I did a pretty good job with that cliffhanger, right? I thought so. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter as thoroughly as I enjoyed writing it. It's just for you awesome reviewers/followers/people who have decided to favorite my story.**

**Enjoy~**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I was floating in darkness, and it was cold. It felt as though I were encompassed in ice, yet I could still move freely. I could clench my fists and curl my toes; I could still open and close my eyes, and I could turn my head from side to side. Was this the place where those who were dying waited to be taken to the other world? I didn't feel dead. There was a sense of awareness still present in my mind; so what was this place. Even though I was looking around with my eyes, it was just as dark as if I had them closed. I wasn't scared at all. I knew I couldn't be dead. But why was I here? I remembered the pain and the fear, but there was so much more.

I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again. I wasn't floating anymore. I could feel running water, and as I tried to move forward, it felt like I was walking upstream. It was still dark, but there were specks of light above me. Were those stars? My eyes began to adjust to the new level of brightness, and I could see, off in the distance, a full moon in the sky. I was surrounded on all sides by trees. There was nothing but wilderness around me. This wasn't the last place I had been. Where was I? I reached up to touch my ears, but there was no hearing aid present in either ear. I felt the panic rising. I looked down at my hands, but they were smaller than I remembered them. I looked past my hands and down to my reflection in the water. It was the me from many years ago, before I been taken to the Hidden Leaf Village! Was this Genjutsu? Was I being deceived?

My body suddenly looked up of it's own accord, making me realize I had absolutely no control over it. I was alone, but I could feel someone close by. It was not a friendly presence. The past me backed up and turned to run downstream, realizing the same thing I had. We ran as fast as we could, but it wasn't fast enough. We were soon stopped by a handful of men who had trapped us in a small circle. We looked around for an opening, but soon realized there wasn't one. The lips of the men surrounding us were moving, and I could see that they were laughing. They were grinning and playfully pushing each other whenever one might have said something particularly funny. A man the furthest to my right nodded and grabbed me under my armpits and lifted me off the ground. The past me thrashed about as hard as she could, fighting desperately to free herself. These were strangers, and we had no idea what they were going to do to us. I was a new awareness trapped inside of an old body. I could feel everything she was feeling. All of the fear, the desperation, the panic, and to some degree, the pain. They weren't hurting her, but there animalistic looks in these men's eyes. They were filthy and looked like the criminal type. Another man to my left touched me and I felt the vibrations of my vocal cords as I screamed.

The same man that had touched me grabbed my hair and yanked me towards him. He held me close and said something, but I couldn't hear him. My vision blurred with tears and the past me shook her head, repeatedly putting her hands over her ears and taking them away, trying to convey to them that she couldn't hear. She was desperate to be left alone; we had no idea what was going to happen to us, but it was obvious that it was nothing good. The man looked up to his friends and said something. His lips were curled into a nasty grin and my entire body went cold. The man holding me by my hair reached up to remove my shirt, but before he could touch me, a kunai knife embedded itself into his hand. He released me and I fell into the stream. My hands were burning from being scraped by the rocks, but the past me ignored the pain and stood, starting to run again. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the men were no longer following her, but were fighting the one who had saved her. Instead of continuing downstream, she darted off towards the shrubbery to her left and waited. It looked as though the man was winning. That bunch must have been common perverts.

When they were all lying unconscious on the ground, the man stood straight. He looked around for a moment, and then his eyes fell directly on my hiding place. I backed away from the front of the bush, but my retreat was stopped by a tree. The man walked towards me and grabbed me, lifting me up and over the bush, and then placed me back onto the ground. His lips moved, forming words I couldn't hear. I shook my head and covered my ears, trying once more to make someone see that I couldn't hear anything. His eyes filled with understanding and he knelt in front of me. He didn't look familiar at all, but it seemed like the past me trusted him. He pulled out what looked like a small notebook and began writing in it. He showed me what he had written.

_Are you okay?_

The past me held my hands out to him and showed him my palms, but shrugged. We were fine, except for a few scrapes. He reached into his rear pouch and took out a little tube of medicine and some gauze. He rubbed the solvent into my hands and then wrapped them up in the bandages. He picked up the notebook again and, though it took him a little longer this time to write, once he was done, finally turned the notebook so I could see it. But before I got a chance to read what it was saying everything began to turn black again, and fade as though it were the end of a TV show.

"No!" I shouted. I reached up and touched my ears. My hearing aid was once again in my ear. What was going on? I clenched and unclenched my fists, making sure that I had control over my body again. I started walking forward, towards a small light in front of me. It began to grow wider and then it suddenly swallowed me, plunging me into a world that blinded me with its light. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. I squinted and held my hand over my eyes, looking around me. I was in the Leaf Village. I turned and ran towards a little shop I used to go to all the time. My control over my body was slowly ebbing away, and I needed to make sure of the time period. I looked into the mirror and took a deep breath. I looked just as I had before I had received the hearing hair was a lot shorter than it had been in a long time, and my eyes still held the shy and scared expression that I had always had before I started at the Academy.

The moment I felt a tap on my shoulder, I had lost all control. The past me turned to face the Hokage. The old man lifted his hands and began talking in the language we had developed in the village to allow me to talk to them without writing anything. Not many people had chosen to learn it; only the few people who considered themselves close to me, or the ones who always needed to talk to me.

"Come with me, Mizuki." He signed. "I've got something I want to give you."

Everything around me blurred then, as though I were running at hyper speed. The sun moved lower in the sky, and we seemed to be running across different lands. The Hokage ran ahead of me with another ninja I didn't recognize, and Iruka-sensei ran along beside me. It was as the sun began to set over the horizon that time began to slow, and I realized where we were. This was something I could just faintly remember. The Hokage had taken me to the village Hidden in the Sound a few years ago before I had gotten my hearing aid from them. This was the time period when I had received my hearing aid. The gates opened and a few Sound shinobi stepped out and greeted us. They ignored me, realizing that I was the deaf one and couldn't talk to me. We walked through the village towards a small building that, instead of it going up, traveled down into the ground. We ended up in a small, generously lit room that looked kind of like a lab.

The Hokage spoke briefly to a man in a white coat and then turned and gestured for me to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on my shoulders and urged me forward. The past me took a few steps towards the unknown man in front of me and clenched her hands together just over her heart in a habitual manner we had taken up from my cousin Hinata. I had gotten over it, but this was a past me that was still unaware that she might be able to become a ninja. The man grabbed a small contraption from his table and reached towards the left side of my head. I flinched away, but someone grabbed me. He was taller than me and slouched a little. Almost his entire face, except for one of his eyes, was covered with bandages. This was the Sound ninja I had encountered before the first test of the Chunin Exams. Now I understood why he said he remembered me. He had been the one to hold me down when I refused to let the medical ninja from the Sound village touch me.

The man slid the contraption into my ear and began turning a dial. I could hear multiple clicks, and then suddenly I could hear low murmurs of the people around me. My eyes went wide and I pushed the man holding me down away so I could face the Hokage. He was smiling, realizing before I had that this thing in my ear had actually worked for me. I reached up to touch my ear, staring in wonder at nothing in particular.

"I assume that it works." He said. I gasped, but immediately clapped my hand over my mouth. I could hear everything! I could remember the joy of this moment. Having gone so many years without nothing but the unbearable silence, I could suddenly hear everything around me. The talking of the medical ninja behind me, the excited chattering of Iruka-sensei as he marveled over the hearing aid, the congratulations of the Hokage. I touched my throat and tried to talk, but the only thing that came out were raspy, unintelligible whispers. I grimaced and touched the thing in my ear. My body was still moving in sync with my memory; I had absolutely no control over it. I didn't understand it... why were all of these memories coming back to me all of the sudden?

"Now that you can hear, I think it's time that you started your training at the Academy..."

The past me ran forward to hug the Hokage, but when she tried to wrap her arms around him, he vanished in a puff of smoke. Everything around me began to disappearing, smearing as though they were images drawn in the sand, and someone had wiped them away. I had been returned to the darkness, and my control was returning, along with a new feeling. It was something I had never before felt in my entire life. A searing pain shot through me and sent me to the ground. But instead of hitting something solid, I continued falling. A burning hatred that swallowed my body in flames was now in control. I couldn't move, and yet, as I opened my eyes, I could move freely. It wasn't me that was moving however. My hands twisted around and clawed through a handful of cloth. A scream tore it's way up my throat and out from between my lips. Someone grabbed my hand and it tightened on theirs with a strength that made me fear I was going to hurt them.

"Hotaru." A woman said in a quiet voice when the woman I had been trapped inside stopped screaming. "Look."

The woman opened her eyes and look down at the child the nurse was holding. The baby was extremely small and frail looking. Her eyes were closing and her little hands were in tight fists, waving around as she cried. The child was shaking, probably from the cold. The nurse wrapped a blanket around the newborn and handed it to the woman. Slowly, and with gently hands, the woman took the child from the nurse. Hotaru, which is what the nurse called woman, mumbled under her breath. Her vision was blurry with tears, and her heart was beating painfully slow. It lurched and clenched in her chest, giving the impression that she didn't have much longer to live. Hotaru rolled onto her side and held the newborn close to her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she began to cry.

"I hate you..." she whispered. "Why did I choose this? Why did he do this to me?"

The child continued to cry in small, strangled sounds. Hotaru took a deep breath and then gave a small smile. Her heart was getting slower and slower with every beat. The monitors behind her mimicked the slow beating, and the nurses behind her were in a frenzy, trying to make her give up the child so they could help her, but she refused. She held the newborn closer and pressed her lips to its forehead.

"You're a beautiful child... Mizuki. You look just like your father." A small and painful laugh escaped her. "Nurse! Please let my visitor in."

"But Hotaru, you're in no shape for-"

"I said now, damn it!" She shouted. The nurse squeaked and ran out of the room. She returned with a man with long black hair and a wicked look in his serpentine eyes. He walked around the bed to kneel beside Hotaru. She glared at him and, with her free hand, reached out and wrapped her hand around his throat. There was no force behind it. He smiled and held his hands out for the newborn.

"Orochimaru..." she said in a hoarse whisper. "I want you to promise me that you'll seal my memories into my daughter when I die. Every last one of them. I want her to know the pain of being betrayed by someone she thought loved her, without ever having to know it firsthand."

"I'll do my best," he said with a smile, "and I believe my modifications have worked. I rearranged her genes so that, among her five sense, her body would reject one of them. It seems as though she can't hear anything. It's just what you were hoping for, wasn't it?"

Hotaru let out a small cry and closed her eyes. She lifted the child away from her and handed it to the man named Orochimaru. Once she closed her eyes, I too could no longer see anything. I was stricken with panic. A deaf newborn named Mizuki? I knew nothing of my mother, and yet, this woman said she wanted her memories sealed inside of that newborn. Was that even possible? Was that newborn me? I had no idea what was going on, but it was starting to occur to me that these were memories. This was nothing like Genjutsu. All of these things, everything I had seen so far, were memories that had been locked up and sealed away by this man. I felt a tugging sensation and, as the woman named Hotaru died, my awareness was yanked from her body and shoved out into the open. I ran out of the room and and after the man, who was talking quietly to the newborn he now carried.

"I think I'll do more than just seal a few petty memories inside of you." He chuckled. Orochimaru tapped his forefinger against the child's nose once and then looked up. His eyes were wary as he left the hospital. The nurses had completely forgotten about the premature newborn and were no focused solely on the woman who had died giving birth to it. I turned and ran back towards the room where my mother was. Her eyes were still open, staring blindly at the ceiling. They were a pale brown color, just like mine.

"Mom... you died... hating my existence." I whispered. A dull ache began to form in the back of my head, and I became aware of familiar voices talking around me. They weren't voices from the past, but voices from the present. No! I wasn't ready to go yet. My mother had just died, and I hadn't see all of these memories she had wanted seal in me. I didn't want to go yet, but despite my wished, I was falling again. It was dark and cold, and I was floating once more.

When I opened my eyes and turned my head to see what was going on, we were being attacked.


	11. Ten

**Hey guys, another update! This entire chapter I took careful thought in writing, and even went so far as to leave my laptop (yeah, I know, crazy) and go for a walk so I could think about how to write this chapter. Walking helps me think. So, I hope you guys like this chapter! I'd like to thank all my followers, readers, people who've favorited my story, and my reviewers. I appreciate the time you take out of your day to read my story.**

**Enjoy! Tell me what a horrible job I did, or otherwise, what a good job I did! I appreciate the criticism. **

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I opened my eyes and immediately recognized the pain in my body. The flames that burned across my right shoulder and left ankle were intense, and I didn't have a fleeting hope that the inferno would recess anytime soon. I reached up with the hand that was not being controlled by pain and placed it across my eyes, and for a moment, remembered what I had seen. Had it all been just a dream? The sounds around me were my comrades in battle. I didn't have the strength to get up and help them, but what use would I be? In all of my memories, I was helpless. In the first one, I had nearly been violated by a handful of men, but someone had come to rescue me, whoever he had been. In the second one, the Hokage had planned a meeting with the Sound ninja to give me a means to hear. I had truly been deaf then, and if something had happened on our journey, I would have been a burden. In the third memory, I was a premature baby who had been birthed by a woman who hated my very existence. In each of these memories, or dreams, or whatever they were, I was no more than a nuisance.

If I were to use the last of my strength in an attempt to help in this fight, would I only get in the way? Would I be the reason that, if we had had a chance to begin with, we would lose? How could I even summon the strength to fight when I knew that I would only get in the way? I was a hindrance to those who were seeking strength. I was seeking strength, too, but was my way in doing so different? It seemed that, over the years I had become a Leaf shinobi, I had been piggybacking on the ones I knew. I was slowing them down by my inability to get stronger. Neji was trying his best to help me, but I could only see him keeping me on a level that ensured that I could never get stronger. Is it my own bitterness at the hand I was dealt in life that made me believe that those who were only trying to help me were trying to knock me down and hold me back from my dreams?

It was true that I didn't believe life was fair. I didn't like the fact that, out of everyone else in the Hidden Leaf, I was the only one who had been chosen to have this handicap. Was it that some greater power also hated my very existence? Did this power, whatever it was, believe that I was a mistake that couldn't be erased? I had once believed in everyone being born for a reason. But from the moment I had opened my eyes after seeing those memories, I've come to realize that somewhere along the way, my purpose had become a lie. Everything around me was controlled by long since placed lies that had been created by a man my mother had asked for the help of. According to these lies, I had been alone and scared and trapped in an agonizing silence for eleven years. It was after these eleven years that someone had decided to take pity on me and devise a plan to allow me to break free of the silence. Had that had some purpose? Even now, lying on the ground in pain and being utterly useless, was I being used for a specific purpose?

My goal in life was to be a top-class Jonin. I wanted to prove to the world that even a deaf girl, who had been seemingly left for dead and had no obvious outstanding abilities as a ninja, could succeed at becoming a strong women whom her subordinates looked up to. I no longer wanted to be the one who went crying to their sensei for advice because there was something I didn't know how to handle. Even Naruto could handle things on his own, albeit just a little messily. Even Sakura, my adopted little sister who on the outside appeared to be weak, could somehow summon the strength to pull through a tough situation. And even Sasuke, who was immobilized by fear by that horrible snake woman, could force himself to protect his comrades in a situation that proved to be deadly if immediate action wasn't taken. But what had I done at that time? All I had succeeded in doing was telling Sasuke what he already knew. Sure, I had devised what had seemed like a clever plan for the exam itself, but in the face of true danger, what had I, Mizuki Hyuga, deaf Hidden Leaf shinobi, do to protect her comrades? Absolutely nothing.

What could I do, even now, in the state that I'm in? The pain in my shoulder and ankle were keeping me pinned to the ground and immobilized. If I couldn't even find the strength to pick myself up from the ground and defend my friends, did I deserve to become a Jonin? If I had succeeded one day in that endeavor, did this moment prove that I didn't have what it took to protect my comrades? Did this moment prove that I didn't have what it took to protect my home? Surely if I thought of those things I could find it in me to fight against this overwhelming pain and fight against those who threatened those things I protected. Surely... if I summoned the iron-like will of my friends and family I could do something. Even if that something meant stalling for time. If I could stall, whoever was out there fighting our assailants could use that time to defeat them. Then maybe I and whoever else who had suffered my burden could look past the hindrance I had caused them and remember me with a smile. I had been born from a woman with hatred in her heart; a hatred that burned at the very thought of me. Maybe if I did the right thing in my last moments, I could die and leave happiness in the hearts of those who had been weighed down by me.

As I forced myself into a standing position, with my body howling obscenities at me with every second that screamed by, I thought of the ones who had protected me in the past. Sakura and her mother, who had so kindly taken me into their home without a second thought, and who had also become my pseudo-family when no one else would take me as their own. Not even my actual family, for a reason I still couldn't fathom. Sasuke, who defended me against the harsh words of my peers, and who also defended me against the negative thoughts I cast upon myself. Naruto, who believed that in spite of my handicap, I could do anything and become anything I wanted; Naruto, who had been despised by the village and who now was encouraged on in his endeavors by it, had decided to become one of my closest friends and allow me to borrow his own passionate courage to plow headstrong through any situation. Neji, who despite his harsh words and even harsher training, took the time out of his day to make sure I was being given the proper tools to continue towards my goal. Iruka-sensei... who also fought against everyone who believed that I couldn't amount to anything because of my handicap. Old Man Hokage, who had by his own desire to see me prosper, asked a neighboring hidden village to devise a method to allow me to hear. Kakashi-sensei, who believed that despite my handicap, I had proven myself worthy enough to take the Chunin Exams. All of these people who I had met in my relatively short life believed in me and, despite their own goals and desires, also desired to see me reach my own goals. All of these people who I had once believed were only there to set me back, when only now did I realize I was the one who was setting them back. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Old Man Hokage... it seemed to me that the list would never end. This long list of people who had decided to stop their training and help me. It was only now that I realized that I was the only one who could stop this list from getting bigger.

At a glance, I realized that the only one who was fighting against the ones who had attacked us was Sakura. She was being held up, with her knees just barely touching the ground, by a woman who had her hand twisted around and through Sakura's long pink hair. I could see that she was trying desperately to figure out a way to free herself, but it didn't seem like there was any way to do that. I steeled myself against the pain in my ankle and, knowing that this would be my last chance to do anything useful for my team, I ran as fast as I could towards the man who was about to attack. Immediately his comrade shouted at him to attack and I was thrust away from them with a force as strong as if someone had thrown a large sack of rocks at me. I hit the ground and rolled for a long time before I hit a tree. I heard a sickening crack and black spots danced across my vision. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I should have thought my plan through for a little while longer before I had executed it. It was no longer just my shoulder and ankle that were on fire; my entire body had been engulfed in flames, and it dawned on me then that this was not the feeling of someone who was going to die. This feeling was one that made me realize that I was just going to continue to suffer. I hadn't helped at all. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto... they would all be killed by the Sound ninja because of my recklessness. Why was it always me who did this? Why couldn't I do anything right? Along the way, sure, I had given my friends a means to get through the test, but what did that count for when death was only a breath away?

I closed my eyes, determined to lie where I was silently until death took me. There was no way I could face my friends again if they were to survive the fight they were in. There was no doubt in my mind that they would cast me away and blame me for the bad things that had happened to them during this test, and there would be no way that I could argue with them. I truly was the cause for their suffering. I was the cause for my mother's suffering, and eventually, the cause of her death. Deep down inside, in the recesses of my mind, there was a small awareness that kept on telling me that I should never have been born. If I hadn't have been born, then my mother never would have died. I was a monster in its own right. No child who was destined for success could kill their mother at birth. She had asked that man to keep her alive inside of me with her memories. Hotaru, the woman who died by the child she hated, wanted her hatred to live on in the form of something that I would never be able to escape. Even in death, I believed that her memory would never cease to haunt me. None of these thoughts were like me, but then again, everything about must have been a lie. There was no way around the fact that everyone around me was trying to make me believe in a story that they had written.

So what did I have to believe in?

A sudden wave of pain forced my eyes to open. My body tensed and I could feel a scream rising in my throat. The black spots still made my vision hazy, but what I could see were the light green eyes lined in black hovering over me. They were filled with an expression that I couldn't quite place; the world spun as whoever he was turned, and it was then that I realized that he was carrying me, and that him lifting me from the ground had been the source of the pain that had resurfaced. I wanted to talk to him, to the boy that I wanted so desperately to learn the name of, but I had a feeling that I had been forced into a strange mix of the past and the present. If my hearing aid were working, I would have been able to hear his footsteps, or at least the heavy beating of my heart. His lips weren't moving, therefore he wasn't talking, but I was the one who wanted to talk. I wanted to ask him all the questions he had refused to answer back when I was in the hospital. That time seemed like years ago, when it had only realistically been about week.

When he stopped walking, he slowly laid me on the ground with a gentleness one would use when setting down a heavy crate on a ground made of eggshells. Only the slightest amount of pain decided to flare and make me wince. I looked up at him with blurry vision and realized he had chosen that moment to talk to me. Why was the world so cruel? I reached up slowly with the arm that could move and removed my hearing aid. He stopped talking and watched what I was doing, wondering why I would do such a thing when he was trying to tell me something. With the last bit of strength I had, I reached up with the arm that shouldn't have been able to move and clapped it over my hearing aid, in a manner that said that I was breaking it, even though it was already broken. He gently took my bad arm and laid it on ground and then took the hearing aid from my hand and set that on the ground, too. He took my good hand, the one I could actually move, and began tracing the words he had tried to tell me.

_Your shoulder is dislocated. This is going to hurt really bad, but please don't scream._

My eyes went wide before I snapped them shut and braced myself for the pain. Before he could move his hand away, I had laced my fingers with his and was holding onto his hand for dear life. I bit my lip and bit back a scream as he yanked brutally on my arm, effectively snapping it into place in one lithe movement. I could taste the metallic tang of my blood from biting down on my lip too hard. The boy loosened the grip I had on his hand and, for a brief moment, my hand was cold. I opened my eyes and blinked away the tears that had formed and looked up at him. He was holding up a shredded piece of white cloth which, upon further examination, had come from the white sash he had wrapped around his body. From a small bottle, he doused the cloth in water and then began wiping my face with it. The coolness of the soaked cloth on my face made my body shudder. He wiped the blood on my mouth and then slid his free arm under my shoulders. He lifted me up from the ground just enough to tip the bottle of water against my lips and make me drink. I'll be honest, I drank every last drop of that water in such a way that would have embarrassed me, if this had been under normal circumstances. He set the empty bottle down on the ground and then laid me back down with it. He folded the cloth and placed it on my forehead. I grabbed his hand and stared up at him for a moment before I decided to ask my question._  
_

_What's your name?_

He looked like he was really considering telling me who he was, but he didn't look happy about it. I knew there had been something wrong. He didn't want me to know who he was, and yet, I got the strange feeling that I knew him from somewhere, but the question was: _when?_

That was the only thing that mattered to me now. If there was nothing else I could figure out, this boy's name would be the one thing I would. One day, sooner or later, I would make him tell me. However, I wanted that day to be today, and I wanted that moment to be now. I tightened my hold on his hand, and with the arm that I really shouldn't have been moving at that point, I reached up and placed my hand on the back of his neck. With the weight of my arm that had now gone slack, I forced him down towards me. He was able to stop just before our lips touched and hovered over me, unable to move away. There were visible drops of sweat lining his brow, and it made me wonder if I was frustrating him just as much as he was frustrating me. I forced my hand to move up from his neck and into his hair. It was the strangest color of red I had ever seen, and yet, I figured that he just wouldn't look right without it. His hair was surprisingly soft, and I wondered briefly why I hadn't done this in the hospital. Then I realized the answer. I hadn't been nearly as delirious.

_I think you're interested in him. You like sand-boy._

Naruto's words echoed through my mind. With his face so close to mine, I could see every detail with perfect clarity, even though my vision was impaired at the moment. I could see the flecks of almost white in his eyes, which were what made his eyes such a bright green. I could see just how black the outlines of his eyes were, and that, too, seemed to be the reason his eyes were so intriguing. I could see the shape of his lips and the shape of his jaw and nose and eyes. I trailed my hand down from the back of his head and down to his face. The pain was intense in my shoulder, but I ignored it and instead focused on the softness of his skin. He was warm against my cold hand. His eyes drooped closed of their own accord; seemingly against his will. My hand moved lower to his mouth, where I traced the shape of it with the tips of my fingers. My body tensed as another wave of pain shot through my shoulder. Sensing the new atmosphere, his eyes opened and he took my injured hand away from his face. His eyes, which had only moments ago held an expression of wonder, were now completely guarded. It was just like that moment in the hospital, where after I had traced my words into the palm of his hands, he couldn't conceal that same look of wonder in his eyes.

A dull and sudden ache started in my temples and it seemed like every time I blinked, I saw an image of a stormy night. My heart began to pick up in pace and I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth. I clenched my eyes shut and refused to let go of the boy's hand. He removed the cloth from my forehead and placed his free hand in the place it had previously vacated to check my temperature. Even though I was freezing cold, my body was burning like it was on fire. My breath was coming in short gasps, and I knew even without looking, that I was probably worrying him. What was wrong with me? Despite the pain, I had been just fine moments ago.

In a rippling image, like watching a movie in a pond during a rainstorm, I could see a young girl. She had short black hair and pale, pupilless brown eyes. Her skin was pale and she was thin and fragile looking, giving the impression that she was sickly. However, she suddenly flipped around with a grace that immediately made the previous impression dissipate. Looking in the same direction she was, there was a young boy, probably about the same age as her, with light green tanuki-like eyes and strangely colored and unruly red hair. The image faded until they were sitting beside each other, writing in what looked to be mud. The girl grabbed his hand and traced her question in his palm, and then without hesitation, he wrote his name in the mud.

_Gaara_.

I gasped and my eyes flew open. I stared up at the boy who hovered over me, who was clearly wondering what in the world was going on with me. My memories... I knew they had all been locked away so everyone could control me and lead me in the direction they wanted, or at least that's what I had believed, but there would have been no reason to tamper with my early memories as a child. Could this boy sitting beside me truly be the boy who had rescued me from a life of solitude? He had surely grown from that time, and it was a wonder I had been able to recognize him, even with the aid of my memories. He had changed so much, and even though back then he had been guarded just as he was now, he had allowed more expressions to come through. Now, being with him again, he didn't have those same slip-ups as he did back then. Had this memory been altered, too? Could this really be the boy who had saved me? I knew I couldn't hear what I was saying, but after talking and hearing the sounds of specific letters and vowels, I should be able to form a word without having to hear it. He knew I was fine now. He knew that and wanted to know what had just happened. He wouldn't answer my question, so my subconscious had somehow decided to answer it for me.

"Gaara..." The name felt right in my mouth, and I knew I had said it right. His guarded expression slipped and he seemed to completely forget that I was lying there in front of him. He stared down at me, opening his mouth as though he were about to say something, but he stopped himself. It was obvious now that he really was the boy from my memories. This was why he seemed so familiar. Somehow, my memories had been locked away, and yet, by sheer willpower, I'd drawn this one out. Did this mean I could do the same with all of my memories? I had no idea who I was or where exactly I had come from, but if I could forcefully draw out my memories, then I could remember everything and find out what had happened to me that had left me in the forest all alone for all those years. It was strange, and I had known it ever since I had been brought to the Leaf, that even then, being in the forest was the only thing I could remember. How could that even be possible?

I held his hand tighter, knowing that I was saying his name just right. There was no mistake about it; the expression in his eyes told me everything I needed to know, without ever having to hear a single word. I wanted to sit up and look him directly in his eyes and I wanted his hear his voice confirm that, yes, he was indeed the boy from my memories. But, briefly glancing over at the hearing aid on the ground, I realized that it was impossible. There would only be one way to get another hearing aid, and that would be to return to the village Hidden in the Sound, and I just didn't think that was possible. I felt his hand twitch in mine, and then he lifted it and stared down at our hands; our fingers were laced together, mainly because I had no intention of letting him run off when I had only just recognized him and remembered his name.

"Gaara... I knew... I remembered... you... from somewhere..." The words came out slowly and deliberately, so I could form each and every syllable perfectly so he would understand me. This moment was so different from when we had first met in a forest all those years ago. Both of us had been so young, and yet both of us had known the hurt of being alone. Even without asking him, it was evident in his eyes just how truly alone he had been. It was also different from now, because back then, I hadn't been injured and hadn't been able to form words to talk, even without a hearing aid. I hadn't known how to form a word, but now I did. I could talk, but he couldn't talk back. He looked amazed; his guarded expression had been completely forgotten, and it was obvious now that he was thinking about how it was possible that I had learned his name without him telling me it. Granted, it had taken a lot longer this way than it would have if he had just told me his name from the beginning, but I was enjoying this moment. Gaara hadn't even bothered to remove his hand from mine. He honestly didn't look capable of speech.

I had a sudden and horrible feeling that this moment would be the last one we would have truly to ourselves for a long time. I had finally remembered him on my own, and all I knew at this point was that it was going to be for naught. I wanted to prove that all I had wanted to know was his name, and that Naruto had been wrong about my feelings for this boy. But I didn't know if my experiment would give me the results I wanted. There was only one way to find out though, and if I was right about this bad feeling, then I needed to do this while I could. I forced my bad arm to move and reached up once more to place my hand on the back of his neck. His eyes still hadn't returned to their former guarded state, but he had at least snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. I knew from the first time that he had resisted, but as I pulled him closer to me, I met absolutely no resistance. There was still that wonder in his eyes, and from my past encounters with this boy, it made me wonder if he, too, wanted to attempt this. He wanted to understand why I, of all people most likely, had the ability to keep him on his toes. He didn't look like the type to get surprised, and he also didn't look like the type who liked surprises. I had a feeling that he wanted to prove just as much as I did that, wherever his thoughts had taken him, he was wrong.

He stopped just before our lips met, and I found myself becoming impatient. All he needed to do was lean forward and complete the experiment. If he was right, then he could just leave and we could forget this ever happened. Then I realized why he had stopped. What if we were right about this feeling our thoughts had taken us to. What if, after this experiment, we had concluded that the words only I had heard from Naruto were correct. Did I like Gaara? It just didn't seem possible, because I really had no idea who he was. And yet, I knew that if this experiment went the way I feared it would, there would be no doubt for my feelings for him. There was an undeniable lure; a relentless pull that made me want to know more about him. My patience was running thin, and I found myself trying to pull him towards me again, but all I succeeded in doing was just barely lifting myself off the ground. I let the muscles in my arm relax and fell back against the ground with a huff, and then Gaara did the most unexpected thing: he smiled. It wasn't a real smile, and it didn't reach his eyes. It was that same ghost of a smile that he had given me all those years ago when he had placed me in the care of Iruka-sensei.

Finally reaching a conclusion, a resolution I could see in his eyes, Gaara leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. My heart was beating against my rib cage like a drum; faster than I imagined a bird's heartbeat would be. My hand slid up his neck and my fingers ran through his hair, closing around a fist full of it. I closed my eyes against my will and realized that Naruto had been right. I had never been kissed before, and yet when I thought about it, I imagined it didn't get any better than this. His lips were soft against against mine, and they held no urgency, and yet they were firmly pressed against my own. If I were to open my eyes, I could imagine that his were closed as well. If he had reached a different conclusion than I had, he probably would have pulled away from me by now, probably sooner. I was becoming short of breath, and I was rapidly getting lightheaded, but I had no desire for him to stop kissing me. I was injured and winded easily, but he was healthy, and didn't even appear as though he had engaged in battle. There wasn't a scratch on him. But unless I wanted to die, we had to stop. My hand loosened and I gasped as he pulled away from me, but I never opened my eyes. If I looked at him, I was afraid he might not have the same expression as I knew I would have. What if he really hadn't liked it, and had only continued kissing me because he knew I had liked it and took pity on me? Slowly, I allowed my eyes to open. He was staring down at me with slightly narrowed eyes, but there was no rude expression on his face. He looked like he was thinking through something very hard. Gaara wasn't looking at me, but through me. It was like I wasn't there.

I squeezed his hand to grab his attention, but instead of looking at me, he turned his head to the right as though someone had called his name. His eyes widened slightly as though he were caught off guard. He turned back to me, and pressed two fingers against my lips with one hand, and then closed my eyes with the other. Did he want me to pretend I was sleeping or something? I opened my eyes just enough to peek under my eyelashes, and saw that Gaara was arguing with the same boy and girl I had seen a little over a week ago. This was what had caught him off guard. When his comrades gestured towards me with a disdainful expression, Gaara glanced at me with an expression of apathy, but it wasn't right. There was another expression he wanted me to see, but that he didn't want those other people to see. He turned back to them and said something that made the girl go pale. My body shivered involuntarily, but then I felt Gaara's leg against mine. He had shifted towards me slightly without the other two people standing before him noticing. He knew I was watching but had realized it too late. I wondered briefly what he had said to her to make her pale the way she had.

I watched him wave them off, probably telling them he would meet up with them later and that he needed to do something. It just seemed like something he would have said, since they had found him sitting here with me. Naturally, they were probably curious as to what he had been doing, but he had led them away for now, and that was all that mattered. He grabbed my hand and began tracing his words into my palm. It was funny how habitual it all seemed now.

_I'm going to take you to the tower. With that guy in your team, I'm pretty sure that they'll pass. I'll set you in front of your door and you'll wait for your team there. That's as much as I can do. I can't heal you, and I can't take you with me to wait with my team. We've already completed the challenge. I'll leave you with water and some food. I'm sorry. _

As he picked me up, the pain intensified. I hadn't realized then just how bad it was whenever we were moving. I had ignored it for many reasons over the period of time we had been sitting there, and none of those reasons I regretted. He was running for what seemed like forever, but soon we reached the tower. He set me in front of the huge double doors and brushed my hair out of my eyes, letting his hand linger for a moment before he turned and ran back in the direction his team had gone. The pain was steadily getting worse, so I carefully positioned myself in a way that didn't hurt as bad. I reached up and touched my lips, remembering for a moment the brief moment we had shared before we had been interrupted. Naruto had been right about Gaara.

For once in my life, I had incorrectly analyzed the situation.


	12. Eleven

**I don't really much care for this chapter, but the interesting parts of this story are soon to come, and I'm anxious to begin writing them. Tell me what could be improved in this chapter so I can take it into consideration for the next chapters. The rest of the story from here on out will move pretty fast, I guess. I've got a resolution in mind, and I'm so excited for you guys to see it. **

**I want to thank everyone for their support! I don't believe I would have come this far without you guys! I hope I don't disappoint you when this part of my story is over, and I've continued into Part Two. Love you guys!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I hadn't ever really noticed before, but as I stared down at my hands, I wondered how they could move. It seemed like they were moving by themselves most of the time. I liked to think that I was always in control of the things I did, but what if I wasn't? Did that mean that I was being controlled by some master puppeteer in the sky? Was this puppeteer sitting up in his chair on the clouds pulling his invisible strings? I held up my left hand to shield my eyes from the sun and moved every finger, starting from my thumb and ending at my pinky, and started over again with my right hand. It kind of made me wonder if everyone wasn't in control of the things they did. Did this mean that we were all being made to do things against our will? My mind drifted back to a time that seemed like a million years ago. Had my first kiss been something I hadn't truly wanted to do? Or instead of whether I wanted to or not, had Gaara wanted to? Was he being controlled like the rest of us?

I lowered my hands and let them relax against the ground. I turned my head to look at the half empty container of water sitting beside me and narrowed my eyes. My throat hurt a little bit from not drinking enough water throughout however many days I had been sitting in front of this damned door, but I didn't want to drink it all. Then I would be in a bad position if my friends didn't come back pretty soon. The water seemed like a pretty insignificant thing, though, when I compared it to the return of my friends. What if they never came back? What if that day I tried to help them they had been killed? No, that couldn't be possible. Sasuke had been there with them. They would win, merely because Sasuke was too strong to be defeated by the likes of those guys. I tried to shift into a different position, but only succeeded in causing myself pain. My arm and legs had gone numb, but if I moved I could feel them again, and that was exactly what I didn't want.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, grinding my teeth together. I could get through this for a little while longer. The survival challenge only lasted for five days, so my friends were guaranteed to come back. They were locked under this time limit, and I knew that they were determined to prove themselves and get through this test alive. They were stronger than me, and if you were stronger than me, you could get though anything anyone threw at you. It was just plain truth. I could imagine that they were running towards me now with both of the scrolls in hand. Sasuke would probably be in the front, with Sakura trailing slightly behind to his left, and Naruto trailing along directly to his right.

My eyes opened wider than I thought was possible when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My head whipped to the side and I saw Sakura crouching beside me. Her hand was on my left shoulder; the one that hadn't been injured. I looked around and saw that Sasuke was standing in front of me with his arms crossed, and Naruto was talking to the man named Kabuto we had encountered earlier on in the Chunin Exams. Kabuto turned to say something to me, but Sakura waved her hand and cut him off with a warning look. She pointed to her ears and said something while shaking her head. Then she turned to me and signed out her question. I guess she had realized that I wasn't wearing either of my hearing aids. Sakura was among the few people in the village who could recall our sign language. It wasn't something they taught as a common rule in the village. Deaf children being born was just something that didn't happen as often as one might think.

"How did you get here?"

I wanted to answer her, but it was difficult to speak in sign language with one hand. I could hardly move my right arm, let alone be able to move it enough to respond to her question. I wondered if I could say it all out loud. I figured it could be possible, since I had done the same thing with Gaara. But I would just have to keep my response short; there was no way I was going to give her all of the details of how I had gotten here anyway. If I had told her about the encounter I had with the Sand shinobi in the forest after I had been blasted away by the guy from the Sound village, I didn't even know what they would think. That was just something to keep locked away in my head, for the moment.

"After that man... blasted me... away, I tried... to find you... and... got lost." I said slowly, remembering how each word was supposed to sound before I let it escape my mouth. Sakura nodded and looked up to say something to Sasuke. He reached down and grabbed my left hand, pulling me up from the ground, unaware that my ankle was also injured. The moment I was on my feet, the world spun and I fell towards the ground. Immediately, Sasuke had his arm around my waist and was pulling me around and onto his back. I couldn't even begin to fathom how much I hated the position I was in right now. Before I had recklessly jumped into the fight a few days ago, I had thought to myself that all I had done was piggyback off my friends to push only myself forward, and here I was literally piggybacking on my friend. It was necessary, but depressing.

I gasped when I felt someone's hand probing my ankle. I gritted my teeth and glared down at Kabuto, who was tightly wrapping it with gauze. He glanced up at me and gave me a reassuring smile. He said something, probably to Sakura, and she turned to tell me that he was just bracing my ankle. Sakura said that Kabuto wanted to at least check before his own team left to finish the challenge, and he had realized that I had a minor fracture. So, basically, I was an incapacitated team member. I could hear the proctor's voice in my head now, her voice echoing and saying that a team would be disqualified in the event that a team mate was rendered unable to fight or continue. Once again, I had become a nuisance and a setback for my friends. This day was just not my finest.

"Let me... walk." I said out loud. Sasuke shook his head. I was fine since Kabuto had decided to brace my ankle. If someone saw that I wasn't able to continue, they would disqualify us. There was no way I was going to be the reason these guys, who had fought so much harder than I had, would fail. I just couldn't be that reason. I wouldn't allow it. I pursed my lips and considered the best route of action. If I hit Sasuke hard enough, he would drop me, but also he could be knocked out. He was probably in pain, too. I could see an oddly shaped bruise on the back of his neck, and I could only imagine what other injuries his body had been afflicted with. If I were to hit him, it may not end as I want it to. I could thrash about and force him to let go of me, but Sasuke didn't seem like the type to get flustered by that easily, and would probably attempt to restrain me, which wouldn't be hard at all. The last possible way I could see was to let go of him and force him to drag my body until he couldn't take the weight and drop me. I wasn't very heavy, but if I went limp, over time on an injured body, I could cause some damage.

Finally deciding on what I would do, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing the muscles in my body to relax. I unclasped my hands from around Sasuke's neck and let the weight of my upper body drag me down towards the ground. Since my eyes were closed, which hadn't been a part of my plan, they had probably figured I had passed out. Immediately, someone's hands appeared beneath my back, and I was gently lowered to the ground. I opened my eyes and, ignoring the pain, kicked off from the ground and flipped backwards. Pain surged up from my ankle into my leg and I stumbled back slightly, but I caught myself before it became obvious that I was in absolutely no state to walk.

"I'm going... to walk. I won't... let... you be... disqualified... because... of me." I could feel that my voice was rough. The way it felt to talk wasn't like how I remembered it; how it should be effortless, and how I should have been able to barely feel my vocal chords vibrating and creating all of those wonderful sounds. It was a harsh vibration now though, and there was an uncomfortable dryness at the back of my throat. I knew I needed water, but I still didn't want to drink it. Besides the fact that my friends had already appeared, I couldn't make myself drink it. Sasuke rolled his eyes at me and said something to Sakura, who shook her head. She looked irritated, and even though I hated being bothersome, I didn't want to be carried. Being carried around was worse than being a nuisance. It was downright being a burden. I couldn't handle that.

She walked towards me and took my arm, wrapping it around her shoulders. I could at least handle this much. If they wanted to support me, then I supposed there was no way I could absolutely tell them they couldn't. I supposed I would have been the same, if it had been anyone else besides me. I would have tried to carry them or support them in any way I could, merely because they were my comrades, and that was my mission. Even if the entire team as a whole had a different mission to carry out, making sure everyone was alive and safe was the reason why I couldn't tell them no. If they wanted to do something to help, I would let them. But I refused to be carried around like a child. Naruto stepped around us to open the doors. We walked into a large and empty room. The only thing that was present was a large painting on the wall. My vision was still blurry so I couldn't quite make out what the words were, but it seemed like the others were reading it and discussing it just fine without me. Sakura set me down on the ground and I watched them open the scrolls.

* * *

It had been Sakura's job to relay to me everything what had gone on over the past thirty minutes. Iruka-sensei had appeared when we had lain out the scrolls as though he had been summoned, which was what I had figured. At some point he realized that I no longer had my hearing aid and when he was done talking, Sakura gave me the short version while we headed towards an even bigger room where we then had to line up in a large group and wait for instructions. I felt sick, mainly because I hadn't really eaten anything for the past few days, but it was something I could easily ignore. I had been hungry before. I stared straight ahead and tried to focus on the man who was speaking. I thought maybe if I looked hard enough then I could see what he was saying just by reading the movement of his lips. That would be a skill I could use. In the event of something like both of my hearing aids breaking and having no way to get new ones for an indefinite period of time, lip reading seemed like the perfect idea for me.

But my vision was painfully blurry, and even when I activated my Byakugan, it wasn't good enough. I would just have to wait until Sakura gave me the shortened version of this man's speech too. I got the feeling though that whatever this guy was saying, it wasn't popular among the test-takers. None of them looked too happy about whatever he had told them, which made me even more curious about what he was saying. When he stopped talking and looked around for a bit, a few hands raised and the people who had raised their hands left, but didn't take their teammates. Did this mean that we were alone now? Did we no longer have to worry about being a burden to our comrades? Well, I guess one person couldn't be targeted for bad luck for too long. This seemed like a good thing for me. I didn't have to worry as much as I had before about hurting my friends' chances. Now I only had to worry about whether or not I could get through this test on my own strength.

At some point, the group of test-takers were allowed to disband and move up to the balcony surrounding the wide-open ground floor. Sakura hurried towards me and helped me up the stairs. Once we were at the top, she set me down and began to tell me everything the man had said. Apparently, we were no longer going to be able to rely on our three-person (or in our case four-person) teams. This next test, or rather the preliminary to the next test, was going to be a "fight to win" kind of test. There weren't rules to follow, just like the other tests, and we were allowed to use any means necessary to win. Only the proctor could call off a fight if he deemed that one side had already won. The opponents would be called at random and they would fight until one person was no longer able to fight, or if they died. It seemed like a pretty scary situation, but if luck was on my side, I should be able to win. Everyone here was tired and worn out from the survival challenge. I was one of the ones who had been lucky to make it out alive, but because I had made it out, I would try my hardest to win. I nodded, letting Sakura know that I had understood her and she stood upright to see who would be fighting in the first round.

Silently I prayed that it wouldn't be me. I needed time to let the pain in my body go down and relax for a moment, but it seemed as though that wasn't a part of the plan for today. Almost as soon as Sakura had turned to see the names of the first people to fight, she had turned back around to help me up. I grimaced and clenched my jaw tightly shut as she helped me down the stairs. Once we were at the bottom, I waved her away and forced myself to walk towards the middle. I didn't want to show everyone that I shouldn't be fighting, so I did the best I could at hiding my limp. I focused on the ground as I walked and concentrated on making my stride smooth and steady as though I were walking leisurely through the village on a normal day. When I reached the middle, I turned and faced my opponent. If he had been standing straight, I imagined he could be pretty tall. Almost his entire face was wrapped in bandages, and briefly I wondered if he had been injured or if that was merely something to throw people off and make them stay away from him. He did look pretty intimidating, but his appearance didn't daunt me in the slightest. That snake woman in the Forest of Death had been a lot scarier than he was now.

The proctor for the preliminary round signaled the beginning of the first fight and then jumped away from us. I stood still and watched him for a moment, and he did the same. This was the same man who had thrown me a few yards away without even touching me. I knew he was powerful just by the way he carried himself. He seemed confident in the thought that he would win this fight, and to be honest, I was pretty confident that I would lose. But I wouldn't just give up now. Not when I knew that my friends were up there silently cheering me on, because they knew shouting would be pointless. I cast my eyes in the direction of the Sand shinobi and saw Gaara. He was watching me with his arms over his chest. His apathetic expression was in place, but there was a curious gleam in his eyes. He had seen me get beaten, he had seen me pass out; basically he had only ever seen me at my weakest points. I turned back to the Sound shinobi and leaned into my fighting stance. This was the time to prove myself to everyone that I was powerful in my own way.

Finally the fight had begun. I ran towards him but he leaned away to the right, making a very predictable dodge. I skidded to a stop, turning back around to face him as I did so. This man probably wasn't very artful in the way he would dodge. It was obvious that he specialized in long-range combat, which was also one of my strong points. Even though I was a Hyuga who had inherited the Gentle Fist fighting style, regardless of my ability in it, one would think that close combat would be my only strong point. But after having developed my own unique jutsu, I had become fairly skilled in long-range combat. I didn't know how long I could last against this man, so I needed to see just what he could do. I pulled four shuriken out of their holster and formed the hand seal for my Heat Seeking Shuriken Jutsu. They began to turn a violent shade of red, and when I knew that they had reached their boiling point, I flung them towards my opponent.

When I had created this jutsu, it was designed so I didn't have to keep the hand seal in order for the jutsu to stay in effect. There were some jutsu that I knew of that the hand seal had to stay intact in order for the jutsu to continue on. My opponent held up his right arm to deflect all of the shuriken. I smirked, knowing that if he allowed the shuriken to embed themselves into his arm, he wouldn't be able to get them out on his own. My Heat Seeking Shuriken Jutsu was capable of inflicting second and third degree burns. But instead of the shuriken embedding themselves into his arm as I had expected, they were blasted away and hit the floor. I figured now, since he was able to dodge that attack, then I would need to bring out my last resort. That required time however, since I was going to be using a lot of chakra. He turned towards me and pulled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing how he had deflected my attack. To me it looked like a type of amplifier; this was something one could expect from a Sound shinobi. There would be no way I could shield myself from his attacks. Even though I was deaf, I knew that his attacks ranged in frequency and could still inflict damage on me.

The eye that wasn't hidden with gauze narrowed as though he were smiling. The air around me began to feel as though it were pulsing, and I dropped to my knees. If he attacked like this there was no way I could be able to use my specialty jutsu. I covered my ears and pressed my forehead against the floor. The pain of it wasn't as severe as the other times he had attacked me, and I got the feeling he was going to kick up the frequency every single time he attacked. While the frequency was still low, I needed to make this my chance. I placed my hands against the ground and lunged in his direction. Catching him off guard, as I leaped towards him, I wrapped my arm around his neck and swung around him, flinging him backwards. Realistically, he only stumbled and hit the ground, but it was enough. I formed the hand seals for my attack and began running around him as fast as I could.

During my fight with Rock Lee, this jutsu still hadn't been completed. I had been searching for a way to make it stronger and more accurate, and watching the way he had attacked me, I had been given my inspiration. I hadn't tested it out yet, because we had immediately been thrust into the Chunin Exams, but I knew it would work. The way my Heat Seeking Shuriken Jutsu had so quickly and easily sought him out would be the force I would use behind this new jutsu. He stood and I could feel the frequency of his attack increasing. My ears were ringing, and I knew that was bad, but I couldn't release the hand seal. I needed to build up chakra or I would never be given the chance to attack. I stopped running suddenly and then formed the hand seal that would make my jutsu come to life.

"Hidden Ninja Art: Infinite Heat Seeking Shuriken!"

My hands became encompassed in what looked like blue fire, but in reality was only my chakra. Small little orbs that began to morph into the shape of shuriken drifted into the air and began to vibrate and turn multiple shades of red. Each shuriken had its own temperature, therefore the damage inflicted by each individual shuriken would be different, ranging from a scratch to a gash and from a first degree burn to a third degree burn. Suddenly the chakra shuriken began flying in all different directions, hitting each other and appearing as though they were shattering. But if you looked closely enough, they were morphing again into tiny little shuriken. Eventually there would be thousands of them. I glanced at my opponent, and he didn't look happy. I could feel the warmth of the blood on the sides of my face from where my ears had began to bleed. I was lightheaded and had absolutely not escaped damage, but I was determined to prove myself. I wanted to show everyone that my training hadn't been for naught.

Thousands of minuscule shuriken were flying around the area that had been left open to fighting. They hit the walls and the ground, shattering and forming into new shuriken until suddenly, they stopped moving. There were handfuls of shuriken that were such a dark red that they appeared to be black. Those were the ones that would inflict extreme damage. I moved backwards slowly, ignoring my throbbing ankle. I at least needed to get out of the way, because I didn't control where these shuriken went. It was a jutsu that, despite its power, could accidentally attack the caster. As the shuriken began to lunge forward, my opponent ducked and ran towards me. He grabbed my hands, forcing the hand seal to remain intact, and yanked me against him. He turned us towards the shuriken and I realized then what he was doing. Before I even had the chance to try to free myself, however, the shuriken I had created came flying towards us; swirling around us. He didn't escape them, but neither did I. What felt like hundreds of them hit me in the back, burning me with a flame that I couldn't even begin to describe. As if I wasn't in enough pain as it was.

My opponent released me and I went limp and fell to my knees. I stared up at him, briefly wondering why he was still standing and then began to fall.


	13. Twelve

**Guess what happened to me? I had a panic attack! I needed something to get my mind off the brutal storm that plowed through my little town today, so I decided to write this short little filler chapter. I hope you like this. Despite the fact that this was panic written, it does hold some significance to overall resolution to this story.**

**Enjoy, and tell how I did!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I could remember pain. There had never been anything like this pain, though; this pain was much more precise. It wasn't like getting cut or burned, this kind of hurt was like someone had, with the intent to kill, taken my heart and was holding it tightly in their hand. My heart was being squeezed so hard that it was becoming difficult to breathe. Was this what death felt like? Was I going to die? I didn't know where I was. The only thing I knew was that it was dark, cold, and very familiar in this place. All I knew was that I was very much alone.

I couldn't move. My body was paralyzed, and no matter how much I fought against my invisible restraints, they just weren't giving. I wondered briefly if this was like what had happened to me in the Forest of Death. If this situation was similar, then who had taken me down? I remembered battling with someone, but I couldn't remember the details, or what the outcome had been. If I was in this dark place, then I supposed that they had won.

I was weak, then. I had been forced once again into my mind because I had been too weak. I couldn't handle my own, and this led me to the thought that if I couldn't protect myself, then where did I get the notion that I could protect others? It made me realize that I wasn't ready to begin my life reaching for my dreams. No, I could feel another obstacle blocking the path I wanted to go down. But what was it? I took a deep breath and relaxed. I could feel my body begin to gain control again and I placed my hands over my heart, counting each heartbeat. It was as slow and as steady as it might have been if I were sleeping.

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in what looked to be a tavern. There were a few people scattered about; most were with someone, except for a woman sitting near the back. She had short black hair that was neatly cut at chin length and sad, pale brown eyes. She had a bottle of sake ready to pour in her glass when she had finished her last round off. Her pale skin was flushed a bright pink and as she raised the cup to her lips, her hand trembled slightly. If I looked more closely at her, I could see bruises in the shape of fingers lining her exposed collarbone and jaw. She looked so familiar, and yet, she was a stranger to me. I had never met this woman. She set her cup down and lit a cigarette, taking a long draw and blew out the smoke in little rings. She smiled to herself and shook her head. It must have been an old habit for her and calmed her because her hands were no longer trembling.

She stood and left a couple of bills on the table. The woman standing by the door bowed her thanks to the familiar stranger and walked over to the table to collect the money. I hurried out of the tavern and followed along behind her. I couldn't quite place a name to the face, but I was certain that I had met this woman from somewhere. As we walked, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture of a much older woman who looked nearly identical to her. The only difference between the woman I saw in front of me, and the woman I saw in the picture, was that the woman before me had no pupils.

"No way..." I gasped. It was obvious now. This woman with the neat hair and pale skin, and the pupilless, white-brown eyes. The way she walked, how even though her strides were short and leisurely, there was still a purpose that drove her forward. This woman looked like me, and as I examined her further, it became evident that she was me. It wasn't a memory that I was trapped in, but an image of the future. Just moments ago I had been thinking of what this obstacle blocking the path to my dreams was, but now it was obvious. This future image of me was staring down at a picture of a woman, but not just any women. If I sifted through my newfound memories, the woman in the picture was my mother. Was my mother the obstacle in my life? There must be some significance in seeing the future instead of seeing the past.

Could it be that I was searching for my last memories? They were appearing of their own accord. It seemed to happen whenever I was in an intense situation or had been forced into unconsciousness. I had no control over the return of my memories that had been sealed away. Or did I? In my encounter with Gaara in the Forest of Death, I had forced the return of my memory of the first night I had met him. What exactly did this mean? I believed that the memories that were coming to me were not the original memories they had been. I didn't believe that my mother had hated and had asked a strange man to seal her hatred within me. It just didn't add up. And I didn't like the fact that I could remember everything from when I had lived in the forest, but couldn't remember anything before that. How did I even know that I remembered everything from that time? For all I know, whoever had sealed my memories away had taken away certain memories and had replaced them with others. And for that precise reason did I feel that I couldn't trust myself anymore.

Watching my future self staring down at that picture with that sad expression, I realized what my next mission would have to be. There was no way I could try to follow my dreams and expect to be successful. There was just absolutely no way. It was obvious what I had to do now. My memories couldn't be trusted; I couldn't be trusted. There was something wrong with me, and it was an error that had long since been placed, and not by accident. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I was determined to figure it out at all costs. This was my mission.

I could hear voices all around me. They were speaking in urgent tones, and I got the impression that my condition must have been more serious than I had thought. I felt the muscles in my mouth twitch. It was ironic that now that I was waking up, I could remember just exactly what had happened. My back was in agony; I was no longer being afflicted with that precise pain in my heart. This new and yet familiar pain was something I could tolerate, and only because I was rapidly going numb. I opened my eyes and saw dozens of white lights flashing before my eyes.

"She's awake!"

"Good, let's keep it that way. Get her heart stabilized now before we worry about anything else!"

So that must have been the pain I was experiencing; that horrible and precise pain in my heart. I reached up the last bits of my strength and put my hand over my heart. The lights were flying by faster now, as though time were speeding up. Those white lights, which looked so pretty, were becoming tainted with black. It was spreading across my vision like the plague; unstoppable. I fought against the darkness that threatened to swallow me whole again, but it was in vain. Was this was death felt like? Had my time come? I could feel the cold hands sliding up my body, slowly and with a purpose that made my heart skip a beat.

Was this what death felt like? Was I going to die?

"Mom..."


	14. Thirteen

**Good? No good? Tell me what you think! Things are about to get real interesting now. Part one is about to be done, and Part two will soon be begun. I hope you're as excited as I am! :D**

**Enjoy~!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I felt like I was flying. My body felt as light as a feather, and when I could make myself focus, it felt as though I were slowly drifting back towards the Earth plain. It was hard to focus. There were so many beautiful things surrounding me. I was in so many different places at once it seemed; these were places I had never before seen. I smiled and closed my eyes as I fell. I wasn't scared, because I knew once I hit the bottom it wouldn't hurt anymore. If I hit the ground it would feel as though I had decided to fall back onto a comfortable bed.

Unlike every other time I had been unconscious, it was bright in this place. It was warm, unlike the cold I had become accustomed to. I could move as much as I wanted, and yet none of it felt right. In my mind I still felt the falling sensation, and yet I remained in this beautiful place. I didn't feel the desire to leave, but I felt like I needed to. There was something that I needed to do. But what was it? I reached up and touched my ears and frowned. If I was going to leave this place, how would I go about doing that?

I looked down at the ground and then sat down on my knees. I ran my fingers through the grass and dug my fingers into the dirt. It was soft and felt like I was digging through cotton. My breath was slow and steady despite the level of exertion I was putting forth now. I didn't know how long I had been digging for, but soon the ground began to open up near the bottom and I could see myself. I was lying in what looked to be like a hospital bed. I was heavily bandaged and hooked to multiple machines. It was one of the most horrible sights I had ever seen. Before I could wonder how I had gotten in that state, the ground beneath me gave out and I tumbled through the hole. I clenched my eyes shut and shielded my face with my arms, fearing the impact, but the only thing I felt was a sensation I likened to water rising up and swallowing me whole.

My body felt heavy. I wanted to open my eyes and take a look around, but I found it impossible at the moment. I could hear quiet beeping off to my right, and I wondered briefly if my hearing aid had never really been broken in the first place. I wasn't in pain; quite the opposite actually. Despite the drowsy feeling, I was the most relaxed I had been in a long time. But even though I wasn't in pain, I wanted to know why I was in the hospital, wrapped heavily in bandages and hooked to machines that appeared as though they had been designed to keep someone alive. It made me wonder if I had been close to death.

I concentrated on the muscles that allowed me to open and close my eyes. I could feel my eyelids fluttering just barely; using a herculean effort to open. Once they were open, which they hadn't opened very far, I let my eyes wander. I was alone in the small hospital room. The window was open, letting in a slight breeze. It was warm enough to want to get rid of all of the blankets on top of me, but unless I had someone in here to remove them, I wouldn't be able to summon the strength to do it myself. I took a deep breath, breathing in the mixed aromas of the sweet summer air wafting in through the window and the slightly bitter and clinical air of the hospital.

"Lady Tsunade, please help Sasuke next! Sasuke next!"

"Sa... su... ke..." I murmured. What was wrong with Sasuke?

"I'll check on Mizuki and see if she's okay. I'll meet back with you in Sasuke's room, okay, Naruto?"

I glanced at the door as it slid open and watched a girl with short pink hair walk in. When she looked up at me, she grinned and hurried to my side. She looked familiar, but I couldn't recall where I had seen her before. This had been the girl who had said she was going to check on me just moments ago. What was her name, I wondered.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed and gently hugged me as best she could without hurting me. "It took you long enough."

"How long...?"

She lost her enthusiastic expression. "You've been in a coma for just a week short of two months, now. The nurses said that it shouldn't have taken so long for you to recover, but you suffered some really major injuries during the Chunin Exams. Your shoulder was broken, your ankle was broken in three places, your spinal chord was damaged, and you had a little bit of internal bleeding and third and second degree burns."

"Did I... die?" I asked. There was no way I could describe to this girl what I had experienced. She would probably think I was crazy.

"You came close to it. When they pulled you from the preliminaries, you were going into cardiac arrest. You should have told someone sooner how much pain you were in. The body can only handle so much, Mizuki." She scolded.

I grimaced. "What's your name again? I'll have to remember it so that I can remind myself to avoid you."

"Don't tell me you don't know who I am," she gasped. "Mizuki?"

"Do me a favor and help me sit up." I said, ignoring her. "Where's Sasuke?"

She put her arms under my shoulder and lifted me into a sitting position. "He's in the other room. The woman who will become the new Hokage is treating him now. She's a top-notch Medical Ninja."

"Whoa, hold on a second. We don't need a new Hokage! What happened to the Old Man?" I panicked. "Why can't he be the Hokage anymore? I know he's old, but he's still in his prime! He's more than capable of handling the village!"

She averted her eyes, but I grabbed her chin and yanked her head back around so she could face me. I stared at her, watching the strength in her eyes fade to something that could be called grief. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. Her reaction was supposed to clue me in on something, and I knew it, but I still wasn't quite comprehending it. I shook her, tightening my hand on her jaw.

"Where's the Old Man? Huh! Why isn't he here?" I could feel my own tears rising against my will. She was lying to me! Even without saying a word, I had finally understood. There could be no way that the old man had kicked the bucket. He was the Hokage. You couldn't just kill the Hokage like that. How had it happened? Why? He didn't deserve to die!

"During the Chunin Exams, the village was invaded by Hidden Sand and Hidden Sound shinobi. The Hokage died defending the village. Apparently, they were planning on destroying the village with that boy from the Hidden Sand. He was some sort of monster."

That struck a nerve. "Boy from the Hidden Sand? What was his name?"

"Gaara."

I stared at her, trying to fully comprehend what she had just said. There could be no way the Hokage had been killed. There could be no way that the boy I had met when I was just a little girl, and who had also conveniently been my first kiss, could have been the force behind the destruction of the Leaf. When we had shared that moment in the Forest of Death, I believed that I had seen something in him that no one else had. I could see so clearly that he had merely locked himself away from everyone else. He was lonely. There was no way he could do something like that.

Right?

"You're lying!" I shouted. Without warning, I ripped the sheets back and pushed her away, running out of the room as fast as I could. I could hear her running after me, calling out for me to stop and listen to her. How could I listen to a bunch of liars! Gaara would never do something so horrible, and there was no way that Old Man Hokage was dead. I couldn't believe it. Everything had turned into one, big, inescapable lie. There was nothing to believe anymore. I could remember saying something about finding the obstacle that obscured my true path, but that couldn't be an option. How did I know if that was a lie or not? What did I have to believe in?

When I turned a corner, I tripped and tumbled through an open door. I hit the ground with a painful _thud _and rubbed my head. I sat up and looked around, forgetting for a moment why I had been running away. There was a boy lying in a bed before me; his eyes were closed and he was breathing low and easy. He was obviously asleep. The girl who had been chasing after me ran into the room and tried to catch her breath. She was doubled over with her hands pressed against her knees, gasping for air. Was she just that slow, or had I been running just that fast?

"Hey... who is this guy?" I whispered.

"You don't remember him, huh?" She let out a sad laugh and shook her head. "That's Rock Lee; the boy you fought against before we started the Chunin Exams."

She kneeled beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I ducked out from under her hand and watched her with narrowed eyes. I didn't know who she was, but she obviously knew me from somewhere. If that was the case, why didn't I remember her? I felt like I should, but I didn't. She was staring at me with sad big green eyes. It was hard to look at her when she was wearing that expression; it made me feel horrible for not remembering her, but remembering other things.

"I'm sorry..." I cast my eyes downwards and stared at my hands. They were wrapped entirely with bandages, covering wounds that had been inflicted on me during the exams. "Truly I... don't remember you."

She sighed and rubbed her face. "It's okay. Maybe your memories will come back in time."

"I don't know. I get the feeling it won't be that easy. What's your name?"

"Sakura." She said.

I sighed. Even hearing her name didn't make me feel anything. There was no sudden recollection of past memories or feelings; nothing. Just the same way I had been feeling for the past ten minutes I had been awake: angry, confused, and undeniably sad. All of these feelings that were in me swirled together and made me unstable. I could hardly think straight. I didn't know this girl and because of that, I couldn't trust her. The boy in the bed I couldn't remember, though I had fought him. I had been told the Hokage was killed, and the Hidden Leaf had been invaded by the shinobi from Sunagakure and Otogakure. Everything around me was familiar and yet new. It seemed that random things had been wiped from my mind, leaving absolutely no trace of the memories. Did this mean I could never get them back? Would I have to start past relationships over from scratch?

"Sakura." I murmured. "Haruno..."

"Yes!" She smiled. I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Sakura... were you lying to me earlier? You know... about the invasion and... and the Hokage?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mizuki."

"It's... okay." I tried to keep my voice from shaking, but I hadn't fooled her. Sakura rested her hand on my knee and sighed, turning her eyes towards the boy in the bed. Over the month I had been in a coma, what had I missed? She looked so sad, and not just after remembering what had happened to the Third Hokage, but while she was looking at Rock Lee. There was something in her expression that told me the reason he was here had been completely separate from the incident that had killed the Hokage. I wanted to remember everything I had forgotten and know everything I had missed so desperately in was becoming a physical pain in my heart. I grabbed at my chest and clawed at the hospital gown I was wearing. Why was this happening to me? Why couldn't I just be normal? Why were my memories suddenly wiped clean from my mind? Why was I deaf? Why had I nearly died before the real fight had begun? Could someone tell me?

I wiped my eyes and tried to hide the fact that I was beginning to cry. Sakura said something but I ripped the hearing aid from my ear and threw it at her, pushing myself up from the ground and running out of the room again. When I had finally gotten outside, I collapsed to the ground and slammed my hands against it until began to hurt. Why! How come nothing around me was normal? This life I chose to live, was it really something I had a choice in?

It wasn't fair! I glanced back behind me and saw Sakura running out of the hospital with reinforcements. I wiped my eyes and launched myself off the ground and onto the surrounding buildings. I couldn't be here. I needed time alone to think about what I had to do next, and with people trying to force their lies on me, there was no way that I could do that easily. If they got ahold of me, there was no doubt in my mind that they would sedate me and restrain me somewhere until I had come to my senses.

When I had ran what I deemed far enough into the forest, I stopped and laid down on a branch high up in the canopy of the trees. The leaves swayed gently from left to right in the soft breeze. I wanted to regret throwing my hearing aid at Sakura, but I didn't. This is something that was truly familiar to me. My body had a much different feel to it than it did back when I was younger, and the circumstances were different now, as to why I was here, but everything else was the same. I stared up at the leaves, watching their graceful dance and allowed myself to relax. If I could relax I could think properly on my next move; rationalized thinking was important for a shinobi.

I couldn't dispute the fact that I had truly been in a coma, but I could argue about everything else until I saw it with my own eyes. The village didn't look as though it had been attacked recently, so how could they prove to me that the village had actually been invaded? Where was the proof? I was being difficult, but I had an honest reason to be. There was no way to trust the people you didn't know. I wanted to hear it from someone I could remember, someone I felt like I could trust, like Sasuke. He wouldn't lie to me.

Before I could react to the hands I suddenly felt all over me, they had pinned me down against the branch. I thrashed against the ones who were holding me down, but my strength was nothing compared to theirs.

"Let go!" I cried, finally freeing one of my legs. I kicked the man who tried to restrain me again and he flew back against the tree and collapsed, unconscious. I felt someone put something in my ear, and suddenly, I could hear the sounds of their struggle. I screamed and fought against them with everything I had. To them I probably looked like someone who belonged in a mental hospital. "Why!"

"Mizuki Hyuga, please calm down!" One of the men shouted. I stopped fighting and let my body go limp. I stared up at the canopy of the trees and felt the warm trails of tears sliding down my face. They were quiet, waiting to see if I would start fighting again, but I had suddenly lost my will to fight just then. It had left me because I had never truly had that will in the first place.

"He can't be... Old Man..." I whispered. "It's not his fault... Gaara. Why did this happen? Why..."

"I think she's stable."

"Someone carry her back to the hospital and keep watch over her."

"Don't let her out of your sight. As of right now, she's capable of anything in her state of mind."

I reached up stared at my bandaged hand. "Someone tell me why."

Their silence was my only answer.


	15. Fourteen

**The final chapter! So what do you guys think so far? Was this a good story? Did I get you excited enough for part two? Have I piqued your interest at least a little. I think that I did a pretty good job, all things considered. Chapter one of part two should be finished within the next few days. I hope you're as excited as I am~**

**Enjoy! And make sure to tell me what you think and what you hope for in part two!**

**~Omo no shi**

* * *

I was no longer in critical condition, but had still been ordered to stay in the hospital. It was because of my outburst two days ago that they were now keeping me medicated. Over the course of the past two days, I had undergone a little bit of memory recovery; however, it hadn't worked at all. My memory was gone, according to the reports, and at first I had trouble coming to terms with it. But now I accepted the fact that some things were just gone, and there was probably no way to recover those things.

To say the least, by this point I was waiting for my chance. I had met the woman who was to become the Fifth Hokage. She was a nice person, but she could be very forward. Lady Tsunade was what everyone called her, so I supposed that that was her name. She shouted sometimes when she got angry, but I didn't understand why she had been chosen to be the next Hokage. Just by looking at her, she didn't seem very strong at all; shouldn't the Hokage be the strongest shinobi from the Hidden Leaf? If the Hokage was just some random ninja chosen from the streets, we couldn't guarantee the village's survival against an enemy invader.

I was laying in my bed with my hands crossed across my stomach, staring up at the ceiling. It was probably close to midnight now, which meant that the nurses wouldn't be coming up to check on me anymore. I wasn't a top priority patient. The only thing I needed, or was thought that I needed, was a few shots that kept me calm. I was unstable and recovering from major trauma; of course I needed to be hospitalized. I glanced over at the window and wondered briefly about if I would be caught if I tried to escape for a little while. There was someone I wanted to talk to, and there was questions I needed to ask. I really didn't even need to go the hard way; I could just walk to his room. I slid off the bed and walked to the door, opening it just enough to poke my head out and look around. When I saw that it was clear, I stepped out of my room and turned to the left in the direction of Sasuke's room.

Whenever a nurse tried to ask me how I felt or if I needed anything, I had made it a point not to talk to them. I knew that there was nothing wrong with me, and that the only thing I needed was answers. If someone would just answer my questions than I knew that I would be okay. I had to know the person and make sure they weren't lying to me. How hard could it be to know whether or not someone was lying to me? It was simple in a sense, but there were those who were so good at lying that they could make themselves cry to make the lie seem more believable. Sakura Haruno was one of those people, obviously. She had lied to me about the Third Hokage and the invasion of the village. I just knew there could be no way those horrible things had happened. It wasn't possible; therefore, it was a lie.

The door to Sasuke's room was closed, and as I raised my hand to open the door, I suddenly felt uneasy. What if when he answered my questions he told me that everything Sakura said had been the truth? I didn't know if I could handle that. If those things had happened, did I really want to know the truth? There were people who weren't content to live their lives in the lie, but was I one of those people? Could I really just let life ease on by without ever knowing for a fact that the village had been attacked and the Hokage had been killed? That just didn't sound like me, so I summoned the courage to open the door and walked into his room, preparing my questions. But when I looked up from the ground to look at Sasuke, the bed was empty.

Had he already been released from the hospital? No, Sakura would have told me that; she was very fond of visiting me everyday to tell me what was happening in the village and telling me everything I had missed while I was here. I ran into the room and looked around, finally realizing that the window was wide open. I leaned out of the window and looked around. Where had he gone? There weren't that many places to go inside the village if you wanted to escape the hospital. So did that mean he was trying to leave the village?

I leaped out of the window and ran as fast as I could towards the path that led to the exit of the village. Why would Sasuke want to leave the village while he was still in the hospital? Despite being distraught over the constant lies I had been told, I had no desire to leave and find them out for myself just yet. Not yet because I wanted to know the truth of what had happened in the village first. So why did he want to leave?

"Sasuke!"

He turned to look at me and slid his hands into his pockets. I stopped in front of him, completely forgetting that I was still wearing the white hospital gown. Sasuke was dressed in his usual clothes and had an odd expression on his face. I wanted to ask him all of the questions that were going through my mind, but he spoke before I got the chance to open my mouth.

"Go back to the hospital, Mizuki." He said.

"Why? I've already recovered. I have no reason to be there." I retorted. "Besides, I needed to talk to you. Where are you going? Did you get a mission?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter where I'm going."

"Yes it does," I rolled my eyes. "So don't give me that "it's not important" crap, okay? Tell me where you're going, or I'll scream."

He took a step towards me and leaned down to look me in the eyes. His eyes were as black as coals and gave off the impression that he could see right through me and into my soul. It kind of made nervous. I shifted from my left foot to my right foot, looking around so I didn't have to look into his eyes. Sasuke grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. I grabbed his wrist and tried to pull his hand away, but he was stronger than I thought.

"Um, Sasuke, that kind of hurts." I mumbled. "I won't scream, okay? I'm just curious."

He didn't let go of me though, and it kind of scared me. It wasn't the kind of scared where I feared for my life or anything; it was kind of like that feeling you got when the guy you had a crush on was close enough to kiss you. His lips were a breaths distance away. I was having difficulty breathing with him so close. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, trying to calm down and forget that he was so close to me. Why should I be acting this way with Sasuke? I didn't like him in that way. There was no way I could see Sasuke as anything more than a friend, right? This wasn't right.

"Sasuke," I whispered. "Please let go."

His grip loosened, but his hand didn't leave my face. I opened my eyes and realized just how close he had been. This wasn't right. Sasuke was... Sasuke. Why was he so close? I couldn't handle this. I had come out here to... what had I come here to do? I wanted to ask him something, but what? My heart was beating faster than was comfortable. I couldn't help but wonder if he would close the distance between us. My mind was travelling to places it shouldn't have been, but I couldn't help it. Now that I was looking into his eyes, I couldn't look away; he had caught me.

"Better?" He asked, referring to his hand on my jaw.

I cleared my throat. "Y-yeah."

"Good." He said. "Mizuki, you don't look too good. I think you should go back to the hospital."

"No..." I clenched my eyes shut and then opened them again. "No, no I needed to ask you something first. But I-I can't remember what it was..."

He sighed and leaned his head back to look up at the sky before he looked back down at me. He wanted me to go back to the hospital, but I was at least coherent enough to know that it wasn't because I didn't look good. No, he wanted me to go back so he could leave. I pressed my lips together and tried to think, but it was difficult to do. I stared at him and reached up to push his hair back, but it just fell back into place. I frowned and let my hand fall back to my side.

"Where are you going?"

"I already told you I can't tell you." He snapped. I could tell he was losing his patience.

"But why? If you leave, who am I going to talk to? I hardly remember any of the people who have come to visit me! It's not the same if you aren't one of those people, Sasuke." I said quietly. "I... well, to be honest I don't want you to leave."

"Mizuki-"

"And this is why you've got to tell me!"

He sighed. "If you would just-"

"I know you probably don't care, because I know you aren't that kind of person, but you can't just leave like this without giving me some kind of reason. Everyone I see is a stranger to me now, and when I ask them something, I can never be sure if they're lying to me. But when I want to know something, I go to you because I know you won't lie to me. You'll tell me the truth. You can't leave because then I really won't have anything to believe in."

"I can't tell you anything." He said quietly.

"It's not fair!"

I tried to push myself away from him, but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me against him, placing his hands on either side of my face. Before I could realize exactly what was happening, he had pressed his lips against mine. Almost instantly, the kiss went from hesitant to bold. Sasuke's hands slid down my body to rest on my hips and pull me as close to him as I could possibly get. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself up onto my tiptoes so I could reach him better.

"Sasuke," I murmured against his lips. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," he responded. I removed my left hand from around his neck and slid it down his torso to settle on his chest. I could feel his heart beating rapidly against the palm of my hand. I smiled to myself and slid my right hand up his neck and into his hair. I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled on it, forcing him away so I could look up at him. We had both become short of breath in the short time we had been kissing, and yet I could still see the desire in his eyes, and could also feel that same desire within me to continue and never stop. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine again; once, twice, three times. They were no longer the urgent kisses they had previously been, but were now simple and sweet. It was enough to make my heart skip a beat.

"You can't tell me now that you still can't tell me where you're going." I whispered, keeping my eyes closed. I felt one of his hands leave my waist to wipe away the tears that were now spilling from my eyes; his hands were gentle as they wiped away my tears. I pressed my lips together to keep them from trembling and reached up with my left hand to take his hand away from my face. I opened my eyes and stared up at him pleadingly. Why did he have to leave? There was no one around forcing him to leave the village. "Will you even come back?"

His eyes had become guarded again, and it hurt me. "I can't answer that."

"You're just going to leave me then? After what I told you and after what we did? I can't believe that. Will you lie to me too, Sasuke? Is my faith in you an err in my judgment?" I whispered, tightening my grip on his hand. He stared down at me with expressionless eyes. "Will you lie to me, too?"

"You were never right to put so much faith in one person, Mizuki." He said shortly. "It's your own fault."

He stepped away from me, removing his hand from mine as he moved. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't think of what to say. He was right, of course. I should never have been so stupid as to put my faith in one human. Humans were not infallible, and they made mistakes and they tended to lie more than they told the truth, yet there were some humans who were more trustworthy than others. I had believed with my whole being that Sasuke had been one of those rare people, but I had been wrong. When you thought about it, I had lied to myself. I had made myself believe that Sasuke was this perfect human; he couldn't lie to me, because he wasn't that kind of person. Sasuke would never hurt me, because he was my friend.

He turned and began to walk away. A feeling that was so familiar to me rushed up and swallowed me, making my heart race. I couldn't help the panic that was rising and making me move forward of against my volition. I reached out to Sasuke, trying to grab him before he got too far away from me, but when I had nearly closed the gap between us, he suddenly disappeared.

* * *

**Three Weeks Later:**

Today would be the day that I left everything I had ever known.

What little belongings I had were packed neatly in my bag and everything had been cleaned to the point where it looked as though no one had ever set foot in this room before. Ever since my encounter with Sasuke a few weeks ago, I had finally made up my mind. He had left the Hidden Leaf for whatever reason he had refused to tell me, and now I was going to leave the Hidden Leaf. I had kept myself distant from the ones who called themselves my friends ever since I had been released from the hospital a week and a half ago. I had used that spare time to plan everything through.

I pulled out the three letters I had written and placed them on my bedside table, and then reached up and untied my headband from my forehead, placing it over top of the letters. On the front of each slip of paper was a name: Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura. In each letter I made sure to emphasize the fact that when they found these letters that they were not allowed to look for me. My purpose for leaving the village was not going to cause any harm, and I had no intention of becoming a Rogue Ninja; my loyalties were still with the Hidden Leaf. But also in each later I had bluntly stated that I didn't deserve to be a Hidden Leaf shinobi when I couldn't even remember the people who had helped me gain that position.

I had rewritten those letters at least ten times each, and had finally come to the conclusion of leaving out the purpose of my leaving the village. No one else needed to know why it was so important that I left.

There was nothing left to do now, except wait for nightfall. I had thirty minutes left before the village began to quiet down and retire for the night. I had planned everything meticulously. Even though my behavior would have seemed strange to my "friends," they most likely would not think much about it because of my amnesia.

My memory loss had not been a part of my plan, but I couldn't help but think about how convenient it had been. Honestly, it was probably the only reason why my plan was even working in the first place. I didn't believe that if I could still remember everyone this plan would have been able to work. All of them would have been constantly asking me questions about why I was acting so weird, but they couldn't now, because I had a legitimate reason to be acting the way I was acting. I glanced up at the clock on my wall and pulled my bag across my shoulders. It was time to leave.

Silently I said my goodbyes to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I had no idea when or even if I would ever return. I knew that the people I had left behind would be upset, because they still held the memories of my past. I was envious of them. They didn't have to worry about waking up the next morning and not remembering their entire life. For as long as I could remember, there had been times when I would wake up and have a panic attack because I couldn't remember where I was. This was my reason for leaving. I wanted to remember my life, and not just the manufactured memories, but the original memories; the experiences that had actually occurred during my life that I had actually taken part in. I wanted to know why there were memories of things I couldn't recall ever happening to me. My leaving the village was in no way malicious, therefore, I shouldn't have to worry about them coming to find me. I wouldn't be the top priority.

My hope was that even after I was gone, no one would forget me. If someday I chose to return, I didn't want to have to know the regret of leaving my loved ones behind. What I was doing now was something that would help me, and it was also my hope that it would all go according to plan. If my leads were credible ones, then it would only be a matter of time before I could set my mission in motion.

I would remember my past, and I would realize that goal at all costs.


End file.
